Swords and Promises
by Meowchan82
Summary: When Tashigi is unwillingly forced into a betrothal by her clan, she needs to find a substitute fiancé, fast! Now who would fit all the requirements? Who else? ZoroxTashigi
1. Chapter 1

When Tashigi is unwillingly forced into a betrothal by her clan, she needs to find a substitute fiancé, fast! Now who would fit all the requirements? Who else? ZoroxTashigi

-0-

Why did it have to come now?

The crisp piece of parchment lay stretched on her desk; the signature at the bottom stood out starkly as though it had been signed a moment ago.

It may as well have. The urgency of the script was indisputable. If she chose to ignore it now, the consequences were too dire to discount. Hell might as well been loosed on earth if she did.

There were so many ways out of this that she thought up of, so many ridiculous concepts that became more desperate than the next. Well, times have changed. She would have to go with her most desperate plan, only because it was the one with the greatest chance of success.

Now to file a leave with Captain Smoker…

--O--

Tashigi wiped the fog off her glasses. She stared long and hard at the ship that loomed directly ahead. Surprisingly, it wasn't at all hard to track them down, working as a single-man team over the past few days. They left a pretty conspicuous trail wherever they went, leaving clues that were so obvious you would have to be stupid to not notice them.

I guess tracking them down is a thing idiots do, thought the marine, grimly. Were the marines just too intellectual for their own good? Oh well, should save the philosophical banter for later.

She strode down the dock where the Thousand Sunny was moored for the time. She followed their trail to this tiny fishing island, where the log pose sets only after two and a half weeks. Divine intervention or not, that little fact just ensured the timing of her mission, assuming everything else would go smoothly.

"Marine-san, may I ask what you are doing here?" a silky voice behind her asked.

The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end when she heard it.

"Nico…R-Robin…"

An arm sprouted from the blue-haired girl's chest, moving upwards for its hand to encircle her neck. It kept a dangerous pressure, but not enough to strangle her.

"I'm afraid I can't let you into our ship, for the sake of my nakama."

"I c-come in peace," Tashigi managed to choke out, hands trying to pry off the alien arm. " I haven't come here…ah, as a marine."

The hand on her neck relaxed its hold a little. "So what is your intention?"

"I have a proposition that would benefit the crew. I must speak to your captain."

Ice blue eyes narrowed treacherously, but then: "Please, follow me."

The archeologist crossed the distance to the gangplank leading up to the ship. Tashigi followed her, the sprouted hand still around her neck. They arrived at the grassy center of the ship.

"Everyone, we have a visitor."

Heads popped out from around the ship, doors began opening to let out the curious occupants. The curly haired sniper, the blue-top cyborg, the raccoon dog pet—they were all here.

"_Mellorine_! Who is this beautiful new arrival??" A blond head with hearts for eyes began prancing towards the pair.

A young man with dark hair arrived with a buxom beauty. Tashigi concluded that this was Strawhat Luffy and cat burglar Nami. "Eh, who is this, Robin?"

From the watchtower at the mast, their green-haired lookout began descending the ladder to see about the commotion. Halfway through, though, he looked down and saw exactly who the visitor was. His eyes went wide. A huge crashing sound was then heard.

"YOU!!"

Zoro had fallen off the ladder, but was now standing up in a panicked stance, pointing towards the intruder.

"Eh, Zoro, you know this woman?"

"Logue-Loguetown…and Alabasta…"

"I remember now! She was the woman you fought against at Loguetown! What have you done to her this time, stupid marimo?" Sanji growled, livid.

"So you've fought with Zoro and lived," the captain said resolutely. He crossed his arms." "Would you like to join my—"

BONK! Nami smacked his head so hard it bounced off the ground. "Don't make everyone join our crew!!"

"Everyone, this is Sergeant Tashigi," Robin gestured with a smile.

"Sergeant?"

"So you're a marine?" Chopper hid behind Usopp's leg.

Zoro was in a state of shock, still pointing at her. "What the heck are you doing here??"

"If I may be permitted to speak," Tashigi said meekly, dropping down to one knee.

"Fine, we'll here you out," the navigator said.

The hand on her neck receded, and she continued her statement. "I am Sergeant Tashigi of the Marines, serving under the World Government. But I didn't come here to fulfill those duties."

Everyone waited with bated breath.

"My real name, you see, is Shigatsu Tashigi."

Audible gasps rippled through the ship.

"Shigatsu?" Robin's eyes were now widened in alarm.

"Huh? What does that mean?"

"The Shigatsu clan. Originally from North Blue, where I'm from," the blond cook said, flicking out a cigarette. " Now they control a lot of the Grand Line."

"They're weapons specialists. Guns and the like, but their main specialty are katanas," continued Franky. "But most of their dealings are underground, in the black market. They pride themselves too much to sell to the highest bidder. They sell to those they deem worthy."

"As such, they control much of the underground criminal network. The World Government cannot reel them in because of their extensive reach," stated Robin. "They provided the bomb that Crocodile used in Alabasta."

"That huge thing that Pell tried to fly away?"

They all looked at Tashigi, confused.

"I escaped that life, and went to work as a marine, to start anew," Tashigi said. "My father tolerated it for a while, but now he sent me a summons that I cannot disregard. I have been betrothed to a suitable candidate."

"OK, so what does your getting married have to do with us?" Nami said impatiently.

"Our clan is very traditional and it holds its customs very meticulously. As the only daughter and successor of the leader, I am obliged to carry on our family legacy. I still have a choice in this, however. I can still choose someone to challenge my betrothed. If he defeats him, then I don't have to marry the one my father chose for me."

Eyes were hardly blinking at this point.

"So now, I need someone to act as my fiancé."

She looked directly at Zoro, then, who broke out in a nervous sweat.

"For this, I have chosen Roronoa Zoro."

-0-

First chapter done! This is just a prologue! The next installment in a few days, I promise!!


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you so much to the reviewers

Thank you so much to the reviewers! You make me so happy! As promised, the next chapter is here! This is a long one, so get ready!

Drama is my middle name (oh, and fluff and romance, too). Hehe.

Oh, yeah, and this takes place after Water 7 arc, so Brooke isn't here yet. Zoro still has a rusted-over Yubashiri sword.

One Piece isn't mine.

-0-

WHAAAAATT!!

The entire Strawhat crew was in a petrified state of stupefaction (no other word to describe it), mouths agape and eyes the size of saucers (except Nico Robin, and Zoro, who had fallen flat on his face from the shock).

"Why the hell would you choose this stupid marimo?"

"You must be very brave to consider marrying Zoro!!"

"No, no," Tashigi cried, waving her hands frantically, "I don't have to marry him at all! He only has to _act_ as my fiancé!"

"Why choose Zoro at all? Isn't there a friend you can twist the arm of somehow to present to you father?" asked Nami. "And what makes you think we would agree to this?"

"I have been betrothed to a man named Ensou Takumi. He is the son of a family friend, and we sort of grew up together. I haven't seen him in years, but I know that he is a very good swordsman. He is a two-sword champion of the Wakamono School of the military arts."

The swordsman in question had lifted his flattened face off the ground. His face of shock was replaced by one of peaked curiosity.

"He has been operating in the background, working as a bodyguard for many different officials, and rumor has it, as an assassin, when needed. He has allegedly faced off against the Shichibukai Mihawk and lived."

Zoro's face took on a decidedly interested cast. Nami glanced at him worriedly. Wasn't Mihawk the one that gave Zoro that scar?

"If there's anyone who can beat him in a sword fight, I am certain your first-mate would be able to."

"What you're proposing is incredibly dangerous. What if something wrong happens? What if Zoro doesn't win the fight?"

"Are you saying I wouldn't win against this guy?" the swordsman said, giving Nami a murderous stare.

"All I'm saying is, this puts him in a precarious situation. Not to mention an unnecessary appearance that pinpoints his location to everyone. And most importantly, how does this benefit us??"

"I am prepared to pay in return for these services," the marine replied, pulling off the huge backpack she had on. Opening it, she then removed the contents.

Everyone returned to their state of astonishment when out spilled a copious amount of gold coins, loose gemstones in every color imaginable, necklaces, studded silver cuffs, carved coral figurines, and jade disks the size of dinner plates. It formed a small, sparkling mountain right there in the middle of the grass.

"This is just a fourth of the price I am willing to pay. The rest, I will give to you when the task is over."

Nami now had flashing Beli signs in her eyes, but she wasn't the only one.

"We could buy lots of MEAT!" screamed Luffy, hands fisted in victory in the air.

"Think of all the ingredients and seasonings we could buy!"

"We can buy more medicine and books!"

"Gunpowder and Tabasco sauce!"

"Cola and metal parts!"

"The base for operations of our clan is on Nagashima Island, a day's journey from here," stated Tashigi. "It doesn't register on normal log poses, so only those with an eternal pose can travel to it. Now, the engagement ceremony is in 10 days, so that gives me enough time to present a challenger to my betrothed. And since the log pose on this island sets after two weeks, I'll be back with Zoro before you even have to leave this place, with time to spare. Presumably, if all goes well."

Silence.

"So, may I know your answer? If you need time to thi—"

Most of the Strawhat crew turned to her, suddenly, with starry eyes and smiles from ear-to-ear.

"YES!!"

-0-

So this is what a stuffed turkey feels like.

Zoro was now on a boat with the marine sergeant on his way to God-knows-where to act as her "real" fiancé and to beat the crap out of her would-be-husband.

This was so _not_ what Zoro had envisioned himself doing.

No, this was not what he wanted at all!

He had protested violently when his nakama, all of them, had answered yes to such a proposition, practically handing him over, bound hand-and-foot to the waiting marine and her tiny vessel. His cries of objection (and terror) had fallen on deaf ears as they waved at him from the ship, smiling and saying things like, "Bon voyage!" and "Write to us, OK?" and even "We'll miss you!" that completely irked him.

_Traitors!_ Those damn traitors! Those idiots!

Tashigi was manning the boat, expertly tugging at the sail to catch the breeze. She checked the eternal pose she had on her other hand. "We're right on course. With this wind we picked up, we'll get to the island faster than expected."

She set the main sail steady, then sat down next to Zoro. The little boat had very little room for anything else, much less space for the both of them.

"Why are you doing this?" Zoro turned to her, a scowl marring his features. " Are you doing this to torture me?"

She suddenly looked at him, surprised.

"One moment, we're enemies, you're chasing after us, and now this? This has to be a trap to get us all captured."

"So you don't believe me? After I've sucked up all my pride and presented myself to a wanted pirate crew? One I've been chasing for months?" Tashigi eyes flashed angrily.

"You have no idea," she said, her voice cracking. "You have absolutely no idea! You have no idea how much of my pride has been shattered! And here I am, a marine officer, pleading with a criminal I'm supposed to arrest, to help me! You have no idea how painful it is!"

Zoro was taken aback. He was about to say something when he noticed the tears in her eyes.

"But it's my fault, too," she began, "asking help from a total stranger for problems I should have confronted years ago, for problems that don't even concern you." She smiled sadly. "All because I want to chase these dreams of mine."

The tears began rolling down her cheeks.

"You must think it's incredibly selfish. I dedicated all these years of training, to be able to bring back those precious _meitou_ from evil people all over the world. That's all I ever wanted; to be a good marine officer and uphold justice!"

She gasped a little, looking up.

"I've said too much," she said sadly. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry, Roronoa! Even if you are a pirate, you don't deserve to be caught up in a silly girl's troubles!" With that she began to sob.

Zoro felt alarmed. For some reason, he couldn't stand the sight of Tashigi crying like that. He didn't know what to do. He untied the bandana off his arm and handed it to her. It was the only thing he could think of giving her.

"Uh…here."

She took it without hesitation, wiping her tears with it, and then blowing her nose on it soundly.

"Um…" She was about to hand it back but saw that it was dripping wet with tears and, well, snot.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! I'll go wash it now!" Tashigi ran over to the wash area of the boat and dunked the cloth in a bucket of water.

She came back to sit down next to him and said in a hushed voice, "I'll just let it dry." She wouldn't, couldn't look at him, not after that.

The green-haired swordsman beside her leaned back and gazed up at the sky. "There was never anything wrong with chasing your dreams. We hold onto them, as much as we can, because this is what defines a man. We do what we can to keep them alive."

Her eyes widened.

"All I know is, I'm headed for a very good sparring session and an opportunity to train. I'm getting rusty", he said, smiling.

She looked at him then, feeling a wave of gratitude wash over her. "Thank you, Roronoa."

"So what do I have to do?"

-0-

That entire afternoon, Tashigi drilled Zoro on all the proper protocol.

They faced each other, sitting on their ankles in a _seiza_ position. "When you meet Otou-sama, you must bow to him respectfully." Tashigi demonstrated, touching her forehead to the ground, fists on either side of her head. Zoro followed suit, although clumsily. "You must never speak to him unless he speaks to you first, and always address him as Shigatsu-sama."

"Another thing I must teach you is the _Chanoyu_, the tea ceremony."

"The what?"

"The tea ceremony is an elaborate ritual of the Shigatsu clan. It's a meticulously choreographed series of movements that celebrates our heritage. When you perform it, it'll symbolize your dedication and willingness to join the clan. There are 25 forms you have to master."

"25!?"

"Yes, but the movements are supposed to flow, so if you get the rhythm of it, you'll be fine."

So they set out to practice, from the entrance and bowing at the start to the smallest hand movements.

"Don't move that hand! And turn the bowl clockwise to the left!" Tashigi whacked his right hand with a paper fan.

"Ouch! This is hard!" Zoro almost let go of the tea bowl in his hands. How was he supposed to do this?

"I'll show you," she said, taking the bowl from him. "From the top then."

He watched, entranced, as she demonstrated the routine, her steps sure and her hands light and graceful.

"Now, do it slower this time." She handed it back.

They went through the entire thing, again and again, until they were both exhausted, sweaty, and lying on the floor of the boat.

"Well, you sort of got it," panted Tashigi.

"Sort of? I got through the entire thing just fine," Zoro protested from where he lay.

Tashigi noticed that the sun had begun setting. The orange sky began fading into the dark blue velvet of the night.

"I should start dinner."

She got up and fussed a tiny gas stove she had. A few minutes later, she had a pot merrily boiling with their dinner. As she was busy cooking, Zoro took the time out to change out of his soaked shirt.

Tashigi spooned a bit of the cooked noodles into a bowl. "Hey, is it OK if—"

But Tashigi's thoughts just zonked out as she faced Zoro, who had his shirt off. Every muscle gleamed in last golden rays of the setting sun. Her eyes roamed his well-defined chest and down his toned abs. She felt her mouth go dry.

"Hey, are you OK?"

She couldn't even find a coherent thought in her mind. Her hand on the bowl of noodles was slipping…

"You're going to spill it," Zoro said, crossing the distance over to her and taking the bowl from her hands. Panicked, Tashigi tried not to look at him, but it was harder when he was this close to him and his perfect body. _It doesn't help that he has eyes that can pierce through you and make you melt…_Now where did that thought come from??

"I-I'm fine really," she stammered out, taking back the bowl. "Dinner will be ready in five minutes."

He took a good look at her, and she felt her cheeks heat up from his gaze. He then left her and went back to rummage through his bag. Sighing inwardly, she went back to preparing the food. She couldn't believe her loss of control. _It's all his fault,_ she thought grimly.

-0-

They both sat down next to the stove to have their dinner. Tashigi handed Zoro (now thankfully clothed) a bowl of her creation and a pair of chopsticks.

He looked at it, and didn't start eating at all.

"Is something wrong? You don't like the food?" she asked.

"No, it's…it's just…it reminds me of home. We used to have this kind of food where I used to live."

The bowl in his hands had a bed of jelly _shirataki_ noodles in a broth, and on top was some thinly sliced beef next to seared tofu bits, scallion slices, a _shiitake_ mushroom top, with a chinese cabbage leaf on the side. It looked quite artistic in its own right.

She handed him raw beaten egg in a bowl. "Do you know how to eat it?"

"Yes, of course. You dip the toppings into the egg before eating," he said, wistfully.

Tashigi was pleased. All the more he would enjoy it. "So, eat up!"

Zoro took one bite, and then began shoveling the food down. Apparently, the food was so good that he asked for seconds, and thirds.

Tashigi giggled a little. "At least we get no leftovers."

-0-

With dinner done, they settled out to have their rest. Two sleeping bags were now full of their respective occupants on the floor.

"Um, Zoro…"

"What's up?"

"I have another favor to ask of you."

Just the sound of that made his skin crawl. _This can't be good._

"You do know that, ah, when we get there, we don't only have to say we're getting married, we have to, uh, _convince_ them that we want to."

"Uh-huh, so?"

"Well," the blue-haired girl began twiddling her thumbs. "We have to show them that we actually _are_ in love."

"And how should we do that?"

"You know, holding hands, hugging, stuff that couples do?"

Sweat was now forming on Zoro's brow.

"Um, and…we could…kiss."

"WHAT?!"

"Well, I was thinking we should practice that, too, you know, before anyone else sees us," she said with a sheepish smile.

"Absolutely NO! No way am I doing that! I didn't sign up for this!" He made an X-sign with his arms at her.

"It wouldn't be such a big deal, it's just pretend. Of course, unless…it's your first kiss."

"WHAT?! Well, of course, um, I mean to say is…" How could she tell?

As he sat there flustered, she said quietly, " Don't worry, it's mine, too."

He trained his eyes to her, then, and in the moonlight, saw Kuina's face look back at him. He couldn't turn away. And he couldn't say no, either.

"Grr, fine," he conceded, tearing away from the sight of her. "What do we do?"

"Well, we could get closer to each other." She scooted in front of him. What next?

"Then we face each other." Damn! Those piercing eyes again!

He couldn't recall ever being so nervous. Never in battle, that's for sure. But now, he was dying and he couldn't get a lifeline out of it. "And then?"

Her heart was about to pop out of her chest. Would he be able to hear it?

"Uh…" Why was this so hard? Where do I look? Where do you put your hands? The questions were endless. "I guess you just lean forward then—"

Their lips touched at that moment, and Zoro gasped into it, moving his lips slightly over hers, eliciting strange sensations for them both. She moved with him, and followed suit, opening her mouth into his. She put her hands delicately onto his chest, feeling the hard muscles underneath the fabric of his shirt.

His head was spinning; every touch she made was like fire. He moaned into the kiss when he felt the tip of her tongue brush his lips lightly. His hands traveled, unconsciously, up her arms to settle at the nape of her neck, lingering there, enjoying the silky softness of her skin.

And then she suddenly pulled away, blinking away the glazed look she had, swallowing audibly.

"So, was…that…"

"I…" he gave a start. "don't…know." He was still reeling from the after-effects. How could he know what a real kiss felt like?

_Like turning into water?_

For a few moments, neither of them spoke.

"Kind of like the blind leading the blind."

"Huh?" she blurted out, startled.

"Yeah, I guess so."

And they both laughed nervously.

"So…good night then."

" 'Night."

As they settled down, they found themselves in an uncomfortable silence, both finding it hard to sleep (a first for Zoro). He kept chanting in his mind _It's just pretend, it's just pretend, _but he couldn't pretend that he could just forget the taste of her on his lips.

-0-

Zoro with his shirt off AND a kiss? Whew!

Culture notes: The _Chanoyu_, or tea ceremony, is a ceremonial practice of serving _matcha_, or powdered green tea to guests. It is strongly connected to the practice of Zen Buddhism. There are 3 main schools of the tea ceremony, each with their own prescribed rituals, but there are various lesser schools as well. Tashigi's family may have its own set of rituals to follow (the 25 forms are just an invention). What's the importance of the ritual to our two heroes? Well, keep reading to find out!

_Seiza_ position is the basic way of sitting all throughout the tea ceremony. Seiza style of sitting involves sitting on the ankles, and hands on the lap. Bows (there are three basic variations, differing mainly in depth of bow and position of the hands) performed during tea ceremony originate in the _seiza_ position.

The _meitou_ are the named swords, among the best crafted swords in the world.

Tashigi cooked the dish _sukiyaki_, as described above, in a broth made with soy sauce, _mirin _(a type of rice wine), and sugar.Yum! Now I'm hungry…


	3. Chapter 3

Swords and Promises 3

Swords and Promises 3

Hello! Sorry for the delay, my Internet service was bogged down for a while, but I got it fixed! Here is chapter 3! A bit more exposition, to give you a feel of the place, and the new characters!

I don't own One Piece. 

-0-

"Zoro, wake up."

He felt himself being shaken lightly by warm hands on his shoulders. The very same hands on him last night, burning across him…

With a start, he jumped out of his sleeping bag and slid over to the edge of the boat, trying to get as far away from Tashigi as possible.

"I made breakfast."

She smiled at him then. His stomach did an unconscious flip that didn't seem to come from hunger. He nodded a bit. Looking at her, he noticed that she had changed into a richly decorated dark blue kimono gathered at the waist by a thread-of-gold _obi_. He noticed how the neckline dipped at the back to show the back of her neck and a bit of her shoulders. She caught him staring, and blushed.

"This is supposedly the most beautiful part of a woman," she said, with a hand now covering her nape, trying to obscure the view. It was his turn to blush when he remembered his hands right there, just the night before. Cursing inwardly, he gave himself a mental shake. No more thinking of her that way! _No more thinking, period_. That last thought suited him just fine.

Breakfast was salty _miso _soup with littleneck clams, crispy fried whitebait on steamed rice, and a stack of sweetened _azuki_ red bean pancakes. As usual, Zoro wolfed down the food as fast as a wink. After eating, Tashigi laid out a neatly folded stack of clothes in front of him.

"Put these on."

"Huh?"

"These are traditional clothes of our clan. As befits a swordsman of your stature, these show your rank."

He took apart the pile in front of him. It consisted of an inner robe, an outer dark green kimono, a sleeveless silver jacket with exaggerated shoulders, pleated _hakama_ pants, split-toe _tabi_ socks, and straw _zori_ sandals. He began to put these on. Tashigi turned away, suddenly very interested in her _obi_.

A little later, she heard an impassive grunt.

Tashigi looked over at him then. He was totally at a loss on how to tie the _hakama_ strings.

"It's like this," she sighed, going over to him to tie the strings herself. She reached around his waist to cross the strings, and then tied them in the back. The entire time, she tried her very best not to meet his eyes. It didn't help that she had to be this close to him. Again.

"Uh, thanks."

She smoothed the overcoat on his shoulders. "This is the symbol of the Shigatsu clan," she said, pointing at the symbols embroidered at the chest area. It was a five-point _sakura_ blossom that occupied the inside of a thick ring of gold. "A symbol of spring, of change, of determination." And then, she was acutely aware of her fingers on him. She hurriedly pulled away.

"Zoro," she started. "A-about last night…"

He cocked an eyebrow at her, worried.

"What about it?"

"Um," she gulped. How do you start it? "I'm sorry about the suddenness. I guess I caught you off-guard."

His brow furrowed. His thoughts strayed back to their…_attempt_…at a kiss. _A fake one_, he added hastily.

"I understand that the nature of this mission is…very personal," she managed to collect herself. She swallowed again. "I do apologize for bringing you into this, but…"

"What I mean is, we should stop each other when things get out of hand."

"Huh?"

"I mean, we should stop if things get too…well, intimate. We're still on opposite sides of the fence here."

"Don't worry, I wouldn't get carried away by the likes of _you_," he said coldly. "I'm getting paid for this anyway."

_What's that supposed to mean?_ It cut through her, but she refused to let it affect her.

"Do we have a deal then?"

"Deal." And they shook hands.

-0-

"We're here."

The green expanse of a large island loomed in the distance. Nagashima Island was non-descript in appearance for its actual notoriety. As the base of operations for the alleged control of criminal undertakings in the known world, it looked innocent enough, verdant and untouched.

At the docks, there was a large crowd forming the welcoming party. A wizened old man in gray and blue formal robes stood to greet the pair.

"Greetings to you, _O-hime-sama_. Welcome back," the man said, with a long, low bow. The crowd, in turn, bowed their heads to the ground.

_A princess?_ thought Zoro. Man, she must be a big deal to warrant such a title.

"Greetings to you, too, Adviser Yuan. I am glad to see that you are well," Tashigi said, with a tilt of her head.

"We have a carriage here to take you and your companion to the palace," Yuan said after he recovered from his bow. "Your father and Ensou-sama await you in the meeting room."

The carriage was roomy, painted over in shiny red lacquer with black edging. Tashigi and Zoro sat face-to-face inside as they were pulled along by two sleek chestnut-colored horses.

"I have another problem."

Zoro's hands grasped the dark hilt of his Yubashiri sword. He drew it out, revealing the rusted half of a once-magnificent samurai blade.

It took several seconds for the situation to finally sink into Tashigi. Her jaw went slack looking at the destroyed blade.

"It's…it's…d-d-dead!" She took the _Yubashiri _blade in her hands tenderly, as you would a small child. "How could you do this to such a beautiful sword?"

"Like I had any choice in it," he said, angrily. "Some devil fruit user grabbed it and it crumbled, when we were fighting the buster call."

But Tashigi wasn't listening to him. She just continued bawling over the sword, forcing Zoro to clear his throat, with an irritated "Are you done?"

She wiped away her tears and said, " You can borrow another sword from our stores, one that would suit you."

Just then, the bamboo forest they were traversing gave way to a bustling village. They passed row upon row of simple thatched houses and eventually reached an open square that housed a busy marketplace, full of stalls and teeming with people.

"This is where our workers live. They are very much independent, governing themselves. But they are very loyal to our family. They are well taken care of. Only the best choose to work here. It is pride, too, I guess, to have been chosen to work for the Shigatsu."

A group of children ran, laughing, alongside the carriage, hoping to catch up with it. They passed shops and stalls selling all kinds of things, artisans plying their trade, big and small eateries and other businesses.

Once they exited the village, they passed a great expanse of farmland; with golden rice paddies, and corn plantations. The carriage then began ascending a hilly incline.

"Tell me about him." Zoro said suddenly.

"About this Takumi guy."

She looked out the window. "He's the scion of the Ensou clan, they were into business deals with my father. He was a playmate I had when we were young. He used to visit during summer here. But I haven't seen him in nearly ten years."

She gave a snort. "He was incredibly annoying back then. He was a skinny little shrimp who loved to pull pranks. We used to call him 'roach-boy'."

"Roach-boy?" Zoro barked out a laugh.

"Yeah, he had hair that stuck out here—" she sprouted two fingers from the center of her forehead. "—so that he looked like he had feelers."

"So I'm fighting vermin."

"Laugh all you want, but when he finally left for his formal training, he became famous for his skills. Like I said before, he was trained in the Wakamono two-sword style of fighting."

"How good is he?"

"I haven't been able to really test his skills. All I've heard is that he's been working for other underground bosses as an assassin or bodyguard. He had to defend someone from Dracul Mihawk. He didn't win against him, but he was spared for some reason"

Zoro flinched, recalling his own situation. "My own scar, it's from him."

Tashigi's eyes went to his chest, now covered in fabric. She had seen it, the horrible diagonal scar, marring his perfect form.

"A reminder," he said gravely. "Never again."

"I won't lose again."

The chill in his voice went through her, making her shudder.

-0-

They arrived at an enormous wooden gate guarded by several outfitted soldiers. The carriage driver shouted a signal, and the two massive doors began to swing open.

What they revealed was astonishing.

An outer stone courtyard, as far as the eye could see, stretched before them. It was bordered by a stone wall three stories high running its full length. In the distance, a sprawling massive structure loomed forebodingly.

" The Great Palace."

It was a sight to behold, with its sloping green tiled roofs and vermilion pillars, making it glitter brightly against the afternoon sun. A wide granite staircase led up to the entrance.

They alighted from the carriage when it had stopped in front of the staircase. A new usher had appeared before them.

"Please follow me, _O-hime-sama_." He was dressed similarly as Yuan was before him. They matched his pace as they entered the building.

They passed the long hallway bordered by the bright pillars into the palace complex, which contained several freestanding buildings connected by raised bridges. Flowering peach and plum trees, rock gardens, and _koi_ fishponds filled the gaps in between. At last, they reached a particularly large covered walkway.

"Is this it?" Zoro was practically cross-eyed from all that walking.

"No, we just passed the outer Greater Palace. We are now entering the Inner Palace," whispered Tashigi on his right.

The walkway entered a large rectangular court bordered by a hallway with the familiar vermilion pillars. At the far end was a white building. A stone staircase led up to its entrance. A _tachibana_ orange tree stood to the left, while a _sakura_ tree was on the right. Their usher motioned for them to follow up the steps. At the door, he faced them and said, "Please, wait here."

Another similarly dressed usher greeted them as the double doors swung open to let them in. At the external receiving hall, they were told to remove their footwear.

"This is it. Remember the protocol." Tashigi gave his arm a quick squeeze.

The ornate doors to the meeting room slid open, and they entered. It was a sparsely decorated room, a stark change from the elaborate exteriors of the palace.

On the elevated dais, in the center of the room, in resplendent dark blue robes sat…

Kuina's father!!

Zoro halted his steps abruptly. He clearly wasn't ready for another blast from the past. The same pale skin, smiling eyes, posture, all the way down to the round, wire-rimmed glasses…everything was unmistakably similar.

"What are you doing?" Tashigi hissed from his side. Without turning his head, he directed his eyes at her. She had on a look that was pure venom. "Don't you dare mess this up."

He continued walking. _What a twisted family_, he thought, shivering.

Six officials sat next to the dais, three to the left and three on the right. They knelt down a distance away from the group, giving their respective bows of respect. Their usher then announced them.

"To our esteemed leader, Shigatsu Kanemitsu, may we present our returning princess, Shigatsu Tashigi. She has brought with her the challenger."

"May I present to you Roronoa Zoro," Tashigi swept an arm to indicate him. "Former pirate hunter, currently part of the Strawhat pirate crew under Monkey D. Luffy. His bounty is set at 120 million bellis after fighting against the Buster call at Enies Lobby."

"Welcome, my daughter. It has been a while since we last saw you," the elder Shigatsu smiled at them. "Welcome, too, Roronoa Zoro."

Through his round glasses, he spotted the white hilt of Zoro's sword on his hip.

_The Wado Ichimonji_, he thought, his eyes narrowing slightly behind his lenses. But he recovered quickly.

"We must introduce the one you are challenging for my daughter's hand in marriage."

On the right side, a figure entered and made a bow as well. When he straightened, they were able to get a good look at him.

Tashigi's breath died in her throat.

Dressed in a rust colored kimono with an outer jacket of cream shot through with gold, and embroidered with a black crest, Ensou Takumi was very far from the scrawny boy of 10 she had impressed upon her memory. He was lean and dark-haired, with tilted, brooding eyes. He had a graceful type of beauty in the manner he carried himself. When he turned his head, two tendrils of hair fell across his face. His lips parted in a blindingly white smile.

Zoro immediately felt an instant hate for him.

"Ensou Takumi, successor to the Ensou clan of North Blue, trained in the Wakamono style of fighting."

_He still looks like a Roach boy to me,_ thought Zoro.

"His qualities are what we require of an official protector and successor of the clan. However, " Shigatsu nodded towards Zoro. "your achievements are considerable and excellent indicators of your eligibility."

"But we were wondering, how was it that you have met and fallen into agreement when you come from a different profession as hers? What attracted you to my daughter?" Shigatsu Kanemitsu's eyes were like ice.

_Oh no!_ thought Tashigi. She had practiced all the right protocol and correct etiquette with Zoro, but didn't once go through such personal details as how they could have "fallen" in love. Which was a stupid mistake now that she delved into it. Frissons of fear began to work their way through her insides. What would he answer to that?

"She tripped and fell in front of me, then lost her glasses."

The entire council roared in laughter. "That's definitely my daughter!"

The marine blushed furiously. How embarrassing…

Zoro continued. "Determination, persistence, belief in ideals; she's a hard person to shake off."

Tashigi's blush only deepened.

"You know her well." Tashigi's father smiled again. The first test had been passed.

"For now, let us celebrate your coming with a feast in your honor. The ritual Tea ceremony will be in two days, and the contest in six, before the actual betrothal ritual."

The councilmen then exited the room. Later, they found themselves ushered back into the anteroom. Tashigi sidled up to Zoro and tilted her head up to his ear.

"Quick thinking. How did you make that up so fast?"

"I didn't," he said, brow furrowing. "I really meant what I said."

A strange warmth bloomed in her heart, though she could not understand why. She made a move to tell him something more, but the ushers came to whisk them away to the dining hall before she could put in another word.

-0-

The meal they had was a tense affair. They were all seated apart from each other while Tashigi and her father caught up with each other. Zoro was able to sneak some icy looks over to his "rival". When they had finished, they were waved away and told to retire to their quarters.

"Zoro, I have to speak to you."

Tashigi pulled him aside when they had exited the dining area. She moved in close to him.

"Listen, you have to be careful of Takumi. I just recognized the _daisho_ he is wearing. The longer katana is the _Juuchi Fuyu_."

"So what?"

"It's name means 10,000 Winters. It's a Muramasa sword. Like your _Sandai Kitetsu_, it is reputedly cursed. It will try to cut anything in its path. They also say that before it is returned to the scabbard, it must first draw blood, or else force its wielder to injure himself."

"Well, that should make it interesting."

They heard footsteps behind them. The pair of them turned.

"It's been a long time, Gi-_chan_." Ensou Takumi had materialized behind them.

"Taku-_kun_…"

"My, how you've grown," the dark-haired swordsman said, looking directly at Tashigi. _Gi-chan? Taku-kun?_? Zoro felt the urge to gouge out the man's eyes from the way he was looking at her now.

His tilted eyes suddenly darkened. "And yet you waste your time putting on one hell of a show."

"W-what are you talking about?" Panic stole through Tashigi. _How did he know?_

"I can see through this lie you've concocted. You can fool your father, but not me," he drawled out, confidently.

"Don't ruin your good reputation, Gi-_chan_. I know you would never agree to marry an unskilled, common pirate."

Zoro had had enough. He would wipe the face off the roach boy right now! In a flash, he unsheathed his katana and brought it down to strike.

In another quick movement, Takumi brought up his blade to block the attack. But he used the entire sword, scabbard and all, blocking Zoro's blade with only a hint of dark steel peeking out of a midnight blue sheath.

Takumi didn't even flinch, even if Zoro had put his entire strength in that one blow.

They held that position for an arduous second, before Tashigi's voice halted them with its urgency.

"You are not permitted to duel before the official rites. You will disqualify yourself if you persist." She wrapped an arm around Zoro's stomach to pull him away, but he wouldn't budge.

"Please, Zoro, don't stoop down to his level," she said, giving Takumi an angry stare. Only then did Zoro relent, and allowed himself to be pulled away by her. "Let's go," she whispered, and she tugged at a very irate Zoro to make them leave that place. _Must get away…_

-0-

They had found an usher to take them to their particular quarters in the Inner Palace complex. As they made their way around, Tashigi said worriedly, "He knows."

Zoro scrubbed a hand through his green head, still very angry. "I could have taken him there, you know."

"It would get us nowhere. Besides, if he ratted us out, it would be perceived as weakness. He will still choose to fight you to preserve his honor," she reasoned out. "But did you see how he wouldn't remove the blade from the _saya_? I was right; either he has tested the legend, or believes in it anyway."

They reached a pair of elaborately carved wooden doors guarded by two soldiers at the end of a large hallway. "This is my room. The servants will take you to yours." The wooden doors slid open to permit her.

Before entering, she stopped. Without turning around, she said, quietly, "Don't do anything rash, Zoro. I don't want you to lose to him."

Just then, he took a step forward, catching her elbow in one hand, his breath tickling the shell of her ear.

"I promise you, you'll never belong to that man. He'll never have you as long as I'm here, " he said, in a harsh whisper.

The steel in his tone made her swallow. She entered her room, her heart pounding, his piercing eyes on her as the doors slid shut.

_Why did he have to say that?_ she thought. It only added to the jumble of feelings in her heart.

-0-

To be continued…

Yey, the end of chapter 3! Please leave a review! I really, really appreciate anything you would have to say! Thanks!

Culture notes:

I based Zoro's clothes on standard samurai clothing as was described here. It kinda looks like the Shinigami captain's uniform in Bleach, to give you an idea. I'll try to make sketches on Deviant art when I have the time.

In ancient Japan, the nape of a woman is considered the most beautiful part of her body (this is why the geisha leave this traditionally erotic area unpainted).

Shigatsu – means April in Japanese. April is the official start of spring and the month when the _Sakura_ trees are in full bloom (it seems fitting that they have _sakura_ as their family crest).

O-hime-sama – title used for a princess (_hime_ means princess).

The Shigatsu complex is patterned after the Heian Palace located in Kyoto prefecture. As was depicted, it is made up of an outer Greater Palace (_Daidairi_) and an Inner Palace (_Dairi_) that houses the _Shishinden_ or Throne Hall reserved for official functions (the white building that they entered).

_Daishō_ – name for the paired swords worn by a samurai, consisting of the longer _katana_ and a shorter _wakizashi_ or _shoto._

_Juuchi Fuyu_ (10,000 Winters) is a sword of legend made by the sword smith Muramasa who lived in 16th century Japan. According to the legend, this sword would cut everything that passed its way without discrimination. Muramasa was known to have made such extraordinarily sharp swords. His swords fell out of favor when Tokugawa Ieyasu established the Tokugawa shogunate in 1603. It is said that Ieyasu had lost many friends and relatives to Muramasa blades and had cut himself badly with one, so he forbade his samurai to wear blades made by Muramasa. This just added to the stigma attached to his blades. Some anime and games have him as a character (Like Samurai Deeper Kyo, I think).

_Saya_ – the scabbard of a katana.


	4. Chapter 4

Thank you for the reviews! You guys are amazing!

I've been so busy lately that it took me so long to update. Also, I've been writing this in reverse (so the story already has an ending). So I promise that the story will never be abandoned to rot into oblivion!

I cut up this installment into 2 chapters; it was too long. The second part will come in a few days, really.

One Piece is not mine.

-0-

He felt it.

An intruding presence, that made his skin prickle and raise the hackles of instinct.

In a flash, he had his _Wado_ at hand, a blur of motion had the blade at the interloper's throat.

"It's me."

When the sleep drained from his eyes, he saw her, pale neck beneath the silver of his blade. She did not flinch; she stayed resolute and unmoving even under the edge of his sword. Her eyes caught his levelly, and his heart sped up, rather erratically; he found himself drowning in the tawny depths of her warm brown eyes, drawn in by the sparkles of fire cast by the orange of the rising sun.

He gulped audibly.

Why he was the one afraid when she was the one underneath the blade was beyond him.

A tense moment passed. Then he moved to sheath his weapon.

"Sorry."

Her mouth curved a little.

He sat up fully, scrubbing at his head, trying to calm himself. She probably didn't know the effect she had on him. "What are you doing here?"

"Well," she said, setting down a small tray next to him. "According to the tradition, I have to 'serve' each of my suitors in the morning, give them their clothing, help them freshen up, you know, to show them what a good wife I'll make in the future."

He looked down at the tray. It had three steaming hot towels. Suddenly, white-hot rage enveloped him. "So you do this for _him_, too?" His voice dripped with disgust.

"Yeah, I have to."

Zoro said nothing, but his trademark angry scowl gave him away.

"Don't worry," she said, after seeing his face. "I already came from his room, and he was still sleeping. He's harmless."

The swordsman did not choose to believe that.

She set down a folded stack of clothes next to his hot towels. "Here. After breakfast, we can go to the armory to get you a sword."

She dipped her head and moved to leave, but before she could go, she heard him say, "Uh… Tashigi?"

"Yeah?"

"Could you help me…tie the strings again?"

She shook her head, smiling, and with a roll of her eyes, said, "You're hopeless."

-0-

After eating, they found themselves on a winding path through the back of the Great Palace.

The south of the Great Palace was even larger that the extravagance of the front. Extensive gardens dotted the landscape, interspersed with smaller stone courtyards and charming, arched bridges that crossed creeks full of water lilies. A thick bamboo forest edged a large, man-made lake. The air was sweet with the scent of orange blossoms, wafting from a tended grove nearby.

"Our armory is housed in our workshop. That's where we're going."

The workshop turned out to be a modestly-sized white building, neatly tucked to the southwest of the Palace. Inside, several hundred workers manned workstations with creations in different states of progress. Everyone bowed to their princess as they passed.

"Here, we don't focus on creating bulk, the Shigatsu focus on the invention of new technology, which is what we sell. Right now, the goal is perfecting semi-conductor technology for our circuit board-based explosives."

_Huh?_ The swordman's one-track mind could not make out the technicality of the terms. She must have guessed his confusion when she said, "Well, enough of that, suffice to say that we make smart bombs. Good ones. Ones only we can create at our time and pace." Even if the criminal world was what benefited most from their creations, Tashigi was still immensely proud of her clan's achievements, somehow.

Zoro made a mental note to never challenge the Shigatsu, lest he be blown to smithereens.

"Oh, hey, I didn't know they got this off the drawing board," said Tashigi, approaching a pile of palm-sized gray disks. She picked up one and pocketed it.

They entered a wide hallway to the back of the workshop, which ended with a pair of ornate double doors. The Shigatsu crest was embossed in a low relief on dark green panels. Twin carved golden dragons peered down at them from their perch on the doorframe.

Tashigi produced a silver key from her robes. She inserted it into the keyhole and turned it. With a long creak, the doors swung open inwards. The marine lit two hanging lamps from the ceiling.

When the light spilled down, an awesome sight lay before them.

Hundreds upon hundreds of swords in all shapes and sizes came into view. They rested on brackets that lined every inch of the room's whitewashed walls. There were _katana_ in a myriad of colors, ranging from plain, smooth, dark lacquered ones to the more elaborately painted. There were also straight-bladed _chokuto_, large, double-edged _tsurugi_, and some blades in unusual shapes, like an evil-looking, wavy-bladed _kris, _and an elegant cleaver shaped long sword without a hand guard that occupied two extra brackets. In the far end, there was a vertical rack of _naginata_ pole-arms, and a flat, glass-topped case displaying delicately designed _tanto_.

"Wow."

"My family owns the most extensive collection of swords on the Grand Line," said Tashigi, fingering a bright, cerulean blue katana with an exquisitely painted dragon-motif hand guard. "Many, though, were actually crafted by the Shigatsu ancestors and passed down. My father forged some of these himself."

Zoro picked up a black hilted _nodachi_ encased in a gleaming charcoal sheath. He drew out the blade, which was as dark as its outer covering and seemed to draw light into itself. A short chain dangled from its handle cap.

"I'll let you choose your sword. I know you have this innate ability to understand them," Tashigi told him from behind. She gave a lingering look at his _Sandai Kitetsu_. "I remember the time you tested your cursed sword. Totally freaked me out."

Then she giggled, trying to hide a blush. "But I swear, if you were actually trying to impress me, then it would have worked."

If there were a hidden meaning in that statement, the swordsman would only have been dimly aware of it (such was the nature of his one-track mind).

They took their time perusing the collection, with Tashigi pointing out her favorites and weapons with interesting histories, such as a reputed sword used in the assassination of the _daimyo_ of the Q'in province (wherever that was), and a rare, reverse-edged _daito_.

"Wait." Zoro froze midway through the room. There was a niggling feeling inside, like a sixth sense at the back of his mind. He reached out to a sea foam-green wrapped _katana_ on a bracket to his right. "This one."

It turned out to be a moderately sized sword; its green wrap crisscrossed along its _saya_ at regular angles. A bright, clover-shaped metal handguard gave way to a slim, cloth-covered handle.

"Now that's interesting," Tashigi said, cocking her head to the side, as Zoro drew out a brilliantly silver blade. "A Masamune sword. And the _Yawaraka-Te_, too, nonetheless."

Zoro looked questioningly at her.

"Remember the legend I was telling you about yesterday, about Takumi's sword? Well, the full version of the story involves a challenge set by Muramasa for his master Masamune, to see who could create a finer sword. When they had finished with their respective swords, they tested their edges against the current of a river. The edge of Muramasa's sword cut everything that passed its way; fish, floating leaves, absolutely everything. The master's sword, though, cut nothing. Muramasa laughed at his master for making such an inferior sword, but a traveling monk saw the entire incident, and blessed the master's sword as the winner. He called the student's sword bloodthirsty, cutting with no discrimination, while the second sword did not needlessly cut what was undeserving. The master's sword…"

"…is this sword," finished Zoro.

"Its name means 'Tender Hands', said to be the finest sword of Masamune. The writing on the blade"—Tashigi pointed at the etched archaic symbols near the hilt—"reads as '_cut what needs to be cut_'."

Zoro looked at the gleaming surface of the sword. "I like it already," he said with an evil grin.

"Of course, its just a story. Could be a made up one to make it more famous, you know," added the marine.

He sheathed it and handed it to Tashigi. "Here, see for yourself."

"Eh?" The young woman was caught off-guard as she was handed the sword, tripping backwards and right into a freestanding sword rack, knocking down other racks, domino-style.

"Ow."

Zoro shook his head at the chaos she created. Rolling his eyes, he said, "Now _you're_ hopeless."

-0-

It took them half an hour to properly arrange the swords on the racks Tashigi had knocked over, before they could finally leave the workshop. Outside, they trekked back the way they came.

"Hey, want to test out your new sword?" the marine looked decidedly excited. She had brought her _Shigure_ after all.

He answered with a nod.

"Good. Let's go to the Hama-Rikyu courtyard, it's big enough," she said.

"Huh? Where's that?"

"It's by the Honganji Bridge. Hey, I'll race you there," she said, with a sly smile.

"Um, Tashigi, that's not such a good idea…"

"Why? Afraid you'll lose? Her smile widened.

"No! It's just that…"

But Tashigi had gathered her skirts and ran fast as lightning. "Just try to keep up, haha!"

"Hey! Wait!"

Definitely _not_ a good idea.

-0-

"Ok, we're here." Tashigi had reached a large stone courtyard at the end of a solid two-arch bridge, connecting it to a traditional rock garden.

No answer.

"Uh, Zoro?"

She turned and saw no one there. Not even the sound of footsteps could be heard.

_I couldn't have been that fast_, she thought. _He was right behind me._

She began retracing her steps. Even after reaching the junction where they had parted ways, there was still no sign of a green head.

"Zoro, where the heck are you?"

A few minutes later, she found him. At the back of the workshop building.

"How did you get here?"

"I was…following you?"

Tashigi shook her dark blue head. "Incredible, you have the worst sense of direction, don't you?"

Judging from the sweat on his brow and his bugged-out eyes, that would be a yes.

"But the place was far!"

She extended a hand to him. "Here."

"What?"

"Take my hand."

"Why should I do that?"

"I don't want you to get lost again. Go, take my hand."

Growling, Zoro grabbed her hand rather reluctantly. He certainly did not want to be led around like a defenseless puppy, but he had no choice. Her hand felt silky smooth against his own rough palm.

They reached their intended target in two minutes flat. It was just 100 meters from the building.

"See? Not that far."

That just added to Zoro's torture.

"Wow, imagine that. Roronoa Zoro," she laughed, looking back at him. "No, _the_ great Roronoa Zoro, _the_ pirate hunter, Mr. I-have-millions-as-a-bounty, has zero sense of direction."

"What?! Say that again and I'll…"

"Or you'll what?" Tashigi began rolling up the side of her kimono skirt up to her waist.

Zoro tried his darndest not to stare as one creamy leg came into the light inch by agonizing inch. "Wh-wh-what are you doing?"

Tashigi expertly knotted the skirt at her waist, pulled out _Shigure_ and took a fighting stance.

"You're fighting me…like that?"

"Why, is it because I'm a woman?" she said acridly, shrugging down her long black sleeves adorned with blood-red poppy flowers. "Don't think for one second I can't fight dressed as one."

He drew out the _Yawaraka-Te_ from its _saya_, along with the _Kitetsu_. No use arguing. _Just don't look down._

CLANG! Tashigi started the attack with glancing blow to his left. He almost didn't block it in time, owing to her speed. A smile rapidly formed on his mouth. She was much faster than the last time they had fought.

He parried more strikes from her, in rapid succession. She was able to effectively deflect strikes from both his katanas, with surprising accuracy. After several more exchanges of blows, Tashigi pushed him off fully, took a great leap and brought _Shigure_ down onto him with a command:

"_**Shōame, Mizukake!**_ "

Three successive strikes from _Shigure_ rained down on him, all in the span of a second, each one stronger than the last. He needed both his swords to block the powerful attack, which was strong enough to push him back a good distance.

"What was that?" he called out to her from behind his swords. He was smiling, though, as he said it, more amused than anything. He was actually pleased with her improvement.

"Just something I picked up," she said, grinning. "How's the new sword holding up?"

"Pretty good. It's a lot lighter than _Yubashiri_. Moves faster, too." The blade gave what looked like an appreciative glint. "Now it's my turn." He set up a charge, as Tashigi took a defensive stance.

Suddenly, they both felt an immense fighting aura descend upon them.

A hideous amount of force blazed along the ground, creating a furrow as it roared towards them. They sprang away from each other to evade the attack, but it seemed to have a mind of its own, turning deftly towards the marine just as she flung out her sword to deflect it.

It was too late; the blow caught her right wrist squarely, and she was flung upwards into the air, bouncing off the ground once, twice, before skidding to a halt several meters away.

Alarmed, Zoro took the defensive. He had to put himself in between her and the attacker; he had to protect her.

The enemy began sheathing his _wakizashi_ with an ominous steely sound as he made his way towards them.

Tashigi's father came to light, striding imperiously in their direction.

"I thought I told you never to wield that sword again," he said, eyes blazing beneath his round lenses. "Especially not here, not in my presence."

Tashigi groaned, and breathing heavily, tried to lift herself up from where she lay, sprawled helplessly on the ground. _Shigure_ was far way from her reach.

"Pick yourself up. There is a meeting I want you to attend," the elder Shigatsu said. The familiar delegation of advisers came striding up behind him.

"Yuan, take her sword. Do I have to remove you myself?"

He took a step towards her, but Zoro raised his swords to block his path, ready to attack. His eyes were narrowed into slits. He wasn't going to let this poor excuse for a father get to Tashigi, even if it killed him.

The elder Shigatsu looked at him, as if taunting him to do something.

"Zoro--_cough,cough_--it's Ok," Tashigi struggled to say, as she tentatively got on her feet and made her way to the two men. "I'll be fine."

She clutched at the back of his robes, half to make him back down and half to prop herself up. Only when she buried her face into his back did he begin to lower his swords, but he kept his eyes trained on her father, still not trusting the man.

Tashigi slid herself off Zoro, holding on to her right wrist that had taken the full brunt of the blow. She stretched her neck and brushed soft lips against his cheek, just for a fleeting instant, calming him a bit. She looked back at him, telling him to trust her with her eyes. With a last meaningful look, she joined her father's delegation in their procession towards the palace, while Zoro looked on, still distraught.

-0-

Recognize some swords in there? I put in some owned by my fave sword-wielding anime characters!

I'm no techie when it comes to bombs (I'm no terrorist!) so I just assumed some of the available technology we have today was being developed in the One Piece universe. grin

Culture notes:

_Daito_—standard Japanese long sword, under which classification katana falls under. All of Zoro's swords are _daito_. A better term for Japanese swords is _Nihonto_, since katana applies to swords 71-78 cm in length.

_Chokuto_ – example of a straight-bladed sword used in Japan before the Heian period (794–1185). It was during this time that sword-making developed through techniques brought over from China through trade in the early 10th century during the Tang Dynasty and through Siberia and Hokkaidō, specifically the folded steel technique, which influenced the katana as we know it today.

_Tsurugi_ – double-edged long sword

_Nodachi_ – a class of _daito_, extended Japanese long sword, 90 cm and over in length. Usually worn across the back due to its size.

_Tanto_ – dagger-sized blade, 28-41 cm in length

_Wakizashi_ – usually worn as part of a _daisho_, called the 'honor blade' because it never leaves the swordsman's side, around 55-58 cm in length

_Kris_—name given to the weapon indigenous to Southeast Asia, an asymmetric wavy-bladed dagger that may come in different sizes and lengths.

_Naginata_—pole-mounted weapon, similar to a spear. Created in the same way as other _Nihonto_, thus, regarded in the same class.

_Yawaraka-Te_ (Tender Hands) – the sword created by Masamune Okazaki (regarded as Japan's greatest sword smith) that challenged Muramasa's _Juuchi Fuyu_ in the legend. There are many other versions of the legend that pits them against each other. Historically, however, it was impossible for these two smiths to have met. Masamune lived during the last part of the Kamakura Era (1288 - 1328), while Muramasa dated his swords around 1500 AD. Yet, the comparison between the two lives on. In fantasy, Muramasa's blades are seen as evil and bloodthirsty while Masamune's are considered the mark of an internally peaceful warrior.

_Shigure_ (Autumn Rain)—I based Tashigi's attack _Shōame, Mizukake_ (First Rain: Water splash) on her sword's name. It's about time she had one. smile


	5. Chapter 5

Swords and Promises 5

Some angst, some fluff, and everything in between. (smile)

I don't own One Piece.

-0-

Adviser Yuan filled in Tashigi on the nature of the meeting, on the way to the _Shishinden_.

"We are meeting with the Buggy pirate crew. We have been having problems with our deal with them, since they refuse to pay the intended price."

_Buggy?_ thought Tashigi. That devil-fruit user and his accomplice Alvida had evaded the marines' grasp ever since Loguetown.

The meeting commenced immediately, without much introduction. Buggy the pirate captain was there, with some of his garishly dressed shipmates. On his side was the beautiful Alvida, with a huge spiked metal bat that she casually slung over her shoulders. The pirates began haggling their intended price at the council, which was very much less than the real value of the goods, let alone the cost of production. Shigatsu tried to keep things calm, stating the terms again and again, but Buggy's annoying voice would squeak whenever he refused them. The meeting/shouting match was reaching fever pitch, and Tashigi ears had taken just enough punishment as they could bear.

"I've had enough."

The word-exchange ended abruptly just as Tashigi strode down towards the pirate crew.

"And just who are you?"

"Sergeant Major Tashigi of the Marines. I would be rightly inclined to have you arrested now."

The pirate crew burst in howling laughter. "Bwahahaha! You think you can arrest us? In this place? Who let this funny person in here?" Buggy slapped his thighs in between laughs.

Smiling, she dug into her robes, then shoved the gray disk she pocketed earlier onto his face. Six metal clamps sprouted from its sides, latching the disk onto his round nose.

"What did you DO?" Alvida pointed her metal bat at Tashigi menacingly.

"Wha-what is this thing? Get it off me!" Buggy pulled at the disk, but it was firmly attached to him now.

"You may not want to move too much, Buggy-_san_, " Tashigi said, using one finger to push Alvida's weapon away from her. "That is a fourth-generation _Shiratsuyu_-class bomb. If you move even a foot, it will detonate. You have 3 minutes before it will explode in your face." She made a cutting motion on her neck, indicating the expected outcome. "And it won't take out just you, but the rest of your crew, in your direction."

As proof, the disk began beeping softly, one beep a second. But in the silence of the room, each beep became a thunderous sound. Alvida and the others began to back away slowly from their captain.

"Hah! I'll just move my body parts because I ate the _Bara bara no mi_ fruit! Just watch--" But Buggy found that he couldn't break apart as usual.

"Eh?"

"Oh, I forgot to mention, the clamp component is made of Seastone. I should know because I designed it myself." Her earlier designs for this model finally came off the drawing board.

It was hard to tell if it was shock or the Seastone turning Buggy's face pale. He could hardly keep standing.

"Oh, and around here, I am known as Shigatsu Tashigi."

Alvida and the others had shock registered on their faces as well.

"So, if you want me to remove the bomb, we have 3 minutes to discuss our terms again with you." The members of the council had also backed away to the end of the room, leaving the two of them in the center of the hall.

"Now that I have your attention, I understand that we have a problem with payment?" She began circling around him.

"It seems that the Buggy pirate crew came across a huge shipment of gold intended for the Alabasta kingdom. I suppose that since it happened a mere few weeks ago, the gold is still on your ship, am I correct?"

Buggy began sweating profusely, dripping from his red nose, and onto the bomb, as an answer.

"So I suppose, too, that it wouldn't hurt to have a look at your stores on your ship?" Tashigi moved to the other end of the room. She motioned to two advisers, who nodded curtly, and left the room to carry out the order.

"I think that it would suffice, that we provide you with a hundred of the improved Buggy bombs we've made for you before, as well as not one, but two of our new invention, a lightweight programmable version of the Buggy bomb that you can try out for yourselves?

Buggy's mouth began opening and closing, in feeble protest, making him look like a fish out of water.

"Oh, were you saying something, Buggy-san?" she said, cupping her ear with a hand.

"N-n-no…"

"Are you telling me that you want to keep the bomb on your red nose?"

"Gyaah! N-n-no…"

"Good. Now tell me, who makes the bombs?"

The glint in her eye was pure evil.

"Y-y-you do."

"Very good. And who calls the shots here?"

"Y-you do."

"Now I suppose we have a deal then?"

He nodded his head enthusiastically. The beeping of the bomb picked up its pace. The 3 minutes were almost up…

"Get this thing off me…!!"

Tashigi smiled from her side of the room. The beeping had stopped suddenly. Buggy toppled backwards with a shout. Time stood still in the anticipated moment of detonation…

Then the marine crossed the distance and snatched the disk off his nose, without missing a beat.

"The safety is on," she said, with a wink at the pirate. "New feature we added." She pointed to a tiny button on the side of the bomb.

The red-nosed captain had fainted into the arms of his crewmembers, who were then being escorted away by a legion of the palace guards.

After they had left, the elder Shigatsu clapped his daughter on the shoulder. "Well done, Tashigi."

She gave a yelp of surprise, then dropped the _Shiratsuyu_ bomb on the floor. _Good thing the safety IS on_, she thought as she bent over to pick it up.

"Inspecting our stock and testing new equipment in the span of a day, very impressive. And your knowledge of the client is very advantageous in our business." She cringed. She had just used classified marine information for a business deal with pirates. The Buggy pirate crew, too, of all things.

"You are acting like a real Shigatsu. This is where you belong."

He began leading the way for the council to make their own exit. Tashigi hesitated, looking at their retreating backs with unhappiness.

"That's what I'm afraid of," she whispered, miserably.

-0-

Zoro spent the day training, lifting all the rocks he could find in the rock garden, and slicing them up when he couldn't find anything else to. But whatever he did, he couldn't take his mind off her. He just couldn't shrug off that feeling of concern. He wanted to look for her, but found it impossible to even return to the palace. At different times, he found himself back at the workshop, in the center of the orange grove, in a flower garden, and in the middle of the lake (literally). By the time he had made his way into the palace, it was past dinnertime, and a servant that had guided him to the dining area needed to rouse the cooks to serve him his evening meal, in the dead of the night. _At least I don't have to see the roach-boy at all, _thought Zoro, as he ate. But then, no Tashigi either.

He trudged back wearily to his room, still with the services of his earlier guide. At the door, the young serving girl bowed and quickly left (probably glad to be rid of him). Just as he entered, a disembodied voice spoke to him.

"Zoro."

He very nearly fell backwards in shock.

"YOU!? What are you doing in here? Again?" Aghast, Zoro had his arms in the air.

"Well, I was looking for you…" began Tashigi.

"No, _I've _been everywhere looking for you! Literally everywhere! I was…" He cleared his throat. He wasn't about to say that he was…worried…about her. Not aloud, anyway.

"Well, I figured this was the only place I could find you. After you getting lost this morning…"

"Don't remind me!" said Zoro, fuming. "Hey, are you alright?" He reached out to take her right hand. She flinched a little when he slid back her sleeve to expose her wrist. There was a large, angry red welt that was rapidly turning blue over her entire forearm. It would be a dark bruise tomorrow.

"I'm Ok, thankfully it isn't broken." Tashigi snatched her hand away from him.

She wouldn't meet his eyes as she said it, though.

"Anyway, I wanted to talk to you, about this morning. I've just had the worst possible day. Oh my God, I helped out the Buggy pirate crew! That's the most horrible thing! I should be killed for treason!" She cupped her face in disbelief.

Huh? Zoro scratched his head. "You wanted to talk about Buggy?"

"Uh, no…um, actually… I'm sorry you had to see that," Tashigi said, head snapping up as she looked at him.

"See what?"

She looked down at her wrist, sadly. He understood immediately. He motioned for her to sit down, and they both took a seat on the laid out _futon_.

"He wasn't always like this. When my mother died…"

Her eyes hazed, and she stared off, somewhere far in the distance.

"You see, my mother was a swordswoman, too, like myself. She came from a noble samurai house. She loved swords; she was the one who taught me all I know about them. She also trained me to fight at a young age. She gave me my first sword when I was 5. Just a tiny _tanto_." Tashigi held out her hands about a foot apart, indicating the length.

"But one day, pirates came here. I don't know how they got in, or what they wanted to do, I was only 13 at the time. They came at night, and somehow, they were able to bypass all our defenses. A whole bunch of them came to my room, and…and…" She seemed to struggle to get the words out.

"They were about to kill me, when my mother rushed in and began fighting them all. But it was too much to handle, she was overwhelmed by their number. She just grabbed me and shielded me from the blows. Then, my father came in and killed everyone, killed every single one of them. But it was too late. My mother…"

Her voice cracked as she continued. "She died in my arms that night. She died because she protected me."

"After she died, my father changed completely. He focused on our business, and drowned himself in work. He stopped making swords. And he forbade me to ever touch a sword again. Like flicking a switch, everything was gone. Like I had lost him along with her."

"That's why I left. I ran away. So I could be free to chase my dreams on my own, give my mother the justice she deserves."

"You see, _Shigure_ is my mother's sword."

Zoro's heart jumped a little.

"Every time I use it, I feel like she's still alive. I'm sure she would have wanted me to use her sword to protect other people, and to protect the swords she loved so much."

Zoro looked at her then, eyes full of sudden realization. He hadn't known. He hadn't known anything.

She sat there, weeping silently, looking very small and vulnerable. Zoro's hand itched, and he wanted to put an arm around her, to draw her close to him, but stopped himself. Who was he to take…advantage…of her? Who was he to…

"I'm talking about myself again," she said, forcing out a laugh as she wiped at her tears with a sleeve. "What about you?"

"Uh, what about me?"

"I hardly know anything about you. Where did you grow up? And where did you train for sword fighting?"

"I was an orphan. Fought my way out of the streets. Then I joined a _dojo_ that took me in."

She had an image of a young Zoro, green hair all askew, battling a hoard of people just to get some food. Her own mostly happy childhood seemed to pale in comparison to the rough-and-tumble upbringing he must have had to endure.

But there was one thing she wanted to know, something that bothered her ever since that day they first fought. "The friend of yours, the one…the one that…looks like me. Was she from the _dojo_?"

His shoulders gave a small twitch. Closing his eyes, he turned away from her abruptly.

Did she say something wrong?

She may unknowingly have scratched open an old wound.

"S-sorry, Zoro" she said suddenly. "I should go."

She swiftly made her way to the door, then paused.

"Thanks," she said, softly. "for listening to me."

He stayed silent.

She put a hand on the sliding door, pushing it open slowly…but she heard footsteps, and saw a flash of dark blue…someone with glasses was headed in her direction.

With a strangled cry, she launched herself backwards. In her head, all she could say was _hide_. HIDE fast.

"What's wrong?" he said, senses suddenly on the alert.

"Otou-_sama_, I just saw him…he's on his way here! He can't see me here! I have to hide! Quick, where do I go?"

He stood up suddenly. "Uh…"

Tashigi was in a panicked state, flailing about the room. The closet was too small, and far away. The footsteps were right outside the door!

What happened next caught her off guard. Zoro picked her up and unceremoniously dropped her on his _futon_. He flung the blanket over her, covering her up. He then placed pillows on top of her then leaned back onto the pile, looking like he was lounging on a particularly big mound of pillow.

Crouched under the blanket, pillows, and now Zoro's weight, she let out an "oof" which was quickly shushed by the pirate. Just then, the doors slid open and in came Tashigi's father.

"Good evening, Zoro-_kun_. I apologize for this late night disturbance, but I feel compelled to speak with you, regarding today's events."

Zoro got off the pillow mound and made his bow of respect. "Shigatsu-_sama_," he said in deference, but his senses were still ready, to watch for an oncoming attack like that morning. There was no trace of the fighting aura about him now, though.

"Please," the elder Shigatsu waved at him. "Let us do away with the formalities. It is I who is disturbing your rest." He lowered himself gracefully onto the _tatami_-covered floor next to the _futon_.

_Don't look at the pillows; don't look at the pillows,_ chanted Zoro in his brain. He was trying to send a mental command to Tashigi's father, but, too late, Shigatsu was now eyeing the suspicious heap carefully.

"I-I like to sleep with a lot of pillows," Zoro said, patting the pillow mound rather enthusiastically. Tashigi winced silently at every blow, thinking, _I'm going to KILL him when I get out of here._

"Oh, I see," Shigatsu said, adjusting his glasses. "Anyway, let us go back to the matter at hand, the incident this morning."

He gave a small cough. "My little girl has always been so headstrong. We've always clashed heads over her beliefs. I've allowed her to dabble in sword fighting, but I have had to draw the line somewhere. When I did, that's when she left. I found out that she had joined the army, of all things. I had hoped that with the betrothal, she would agree to come home for good, and abandon this tomfoolery she's put herself in."

Zoro let the information sink in. After hearing her side of the story, he was bothered by how lightly her father regarded her achievements.

"She needs to know where her real place is," the elder Shigatsu continued. "It is here, heading our dealings. Her business acumen is unrivaled. Her presence in the meeting we had greatly affected the turn of events; she sealed a deal I had been hoping to make for months. If she stays, I am sure our efficiency would double."

Zoro was silent for a while. Then, he spoke out with unexpected intensity. "I think she has chosen where she wants to be, on the path to become a swordsman."

"Hah," Shigatsu barked out a laugh. "It is futile for a woman to pick up a sword."

Something sprang to life in the pirate's chest, something like old demons he had been fighting from times past.

"That isn't true. You should let her show you. She has grown stronger, and will continue to do so, if you let her."

"No," the older man said, coldly. "I don't believe she will. She will forever be too weak to protect anyone else with a sword."

_It must be painful,_ thought Zoro. The person under the pillows had heard it all.

"Goodnight, Zoro-_kun_."

Zoro bowed his green head. He slid the door shut after his guest had left. Turning around, he looked at the unmoving heap on his _futon._ It stayed quiet.

"You Ok in there?" he asked softly. He waited several moments before he heard her tiny voice.

"No," came the reply, muffled slightly by the blanket. "You heard what he said."

"Come off it," he said, sitting down next to her.

"And you! Feeding him lies again like 'she has grown stronger'! He's not going to buy that, it'll only build the case he has against me!"

Zoro crossed his arms angrily. "Again, it wasn't a lie. I meant what I said."

There was a pause.

Whimpers emanated from pillow pile. Zoro raised the edge of the blanket to look at her. From inside the blanket, her sad eyes glistened with tears as she looked up at him. He couldn't handle being looked at like that. _Not with that face…_

"I don't," he started, voice a bare whisper. "I don't like it when you cry."

"Then don't look at me!" Tashigi snatched the blanket edge from him and buried herself once more. "And stop patronizing me! I don't need it!"

Grumbling, Zoro collapsed onto the _futon_, angrily putting his hands under his head. "I don't know why it's SUCH a big deal. As far as I can tell, you've already proven yourself to him. He just refuses to accept it. You've made your choice; you've dedicated yourself to the sword, in memory of your mother, to seek justice for her. Isn't that why you're doing all this, so you can go back to the life you decided on?"

"Isn't that why I'm here?" he added, in exasperation.

Tashigi stayed crouched under the blanket. She let his words dig into her heart.

Why did he always know what to say?

It was true; she had decided a long time ago to escape the life seemingly handed to her on a platter. She was her own person, and not a slave to the ideals of her family. This was a chance to break free from the shackles they had set on her. A chance to honor her mother whom she loved dearly.

_Isn't that why I'm here?_

And he was helping her. He was here to make it all easier. An enormous wave of gratitude washed over her heart.

_Thank you._

She wanted to tell him that.

She peeked out of the blanket, but found him sound asleep. The worst part was that he had fallen asleep on top of the blanket edge, and on top of one of her ridiculously long square sleeves. Her eyes widened in panic. She tugged and tugged, but couldn't get herself free. He didn't even stir a little. _Uh oh. _

"Um, Zoro? Wake up, p-please?"

No response.

"ZORO!"

But she found that no amount of shouting, pushing, or pulling could make him budge or at least wake up. _Is he really this hard to wake up?_

Tashigi was trapped! Well, at least for the moment.

_Ok,_ she began in her head, trying to suppress the panic. _What if I take my clothes off? No way in hell, won't risk it! Do I cut it off? No, this kimono is a hand-painted heirloom and is my third-best kimono, absolutely no way I'll do that! Do I…_

Zoro, all of a sudden, rolled towards her, effectively trapping more of her sleeve and pulling her closer to him. The movement brought her face up to his, their noses nearly touching. She gasped as she took a look at his sleeping face.

He wore such a tranquil expression that she wasn't used to seeing on him. The hard lines between his brows had smoothed out, his eyes were closed without an ounce of anger to contort them. She drank in his aquiline nose, the strong jaw line, the smooth, bronzed skin that covered the corded sinews of his strong neck, and the muscles of his chest that strained against the neckline of his robes.

_God, he's so handsome_, she thought, looking at him with peaceful features. She tried to imagine him as a young boy, bravely trying to survive on his own, then giving everything he had to his training. _He must have been a cute kid,_ she assumed. Her eyes then moved up to rest on his slightly parted mouth. She then remembered the kiss they shared, how his lips felt like on hers…

She was very glad the darkness hid her madly blushing face.

But then she felt an evil voice pop an idea in her head: S_urely he wouldn't mind another tiny kiss?_

WHAT?! Where the hell did that come from? As she battled the errant thoughts that wreaked havoc in her mind, she found herself inching closer to him anyway, till she could feel his breath on her…

But an ounce of better judgment that she had left made her pull back. Who was she to take advantage of him? Who was she to…

Just then, Zoro gave a grunt, moved his head forward until his lips caught hers.

Tashigi's eyes went wide; he was kissing her! Was he? Already, her lips were rapidly feeling the heat from his own…

And then he gave another grunt and his head dropped to his chest, breaking the kiss.

He was still asleep! The amazing lout had accidentally kissed her while still being asleep!

WHO was being taken advantage of here?!

Still blushing furiously, she tried to calm herself down. If she had a right mind, she would have given him a rightly deserved Mega-punch to the face right now!! But then…

_Thanks, for being here with me._

She smiled.

_I'll let it slide this time, on account of your being really cute right now, well,_ _in an if-you-tilt-your-head-90-degrees way, yeah, that's right. I'll admit that, but I'm not telling you._

She tried to stifle her laughter.

_But if you cross the line again, I'll break your neck, buddy._

The vestiges of sleep came, and she couldn't resist. Her lids became heavy, and she fell asleep there, next to his warmth.

-0-

A shout out to the ff. amazing people: Cloner4000, XxStrawberryKittyxX, LonelyRage, Psike666, Fhulhi the Crazy, Ryan, mischeifmaiden, ameo66, Half-elf, kiril, Silverchild of the Winds, adriennelouise, AnimeBabe1031, TheOptimisticPessimist, nabiqi, Xstarlight-dragonX, NopeJustMe, inuzukapau, Troy Thomas!

Thank you so much for your continued input and support! I really appreciate it! May you have showers of good fortune come your way! (sprinkles stars and good-luck potion)

Tashigi is kick-ass in two things: swordfights and confrontation. Hehe (evil laugh)

In the OP universe, you don't go chasing your dreams without having a (dramatic) reason for it. Tashigi needed one, too. (smile)

I drew some stuff for this fanfic. Just rough pencil sketches, nothing fancy (grin). Visit my profile page for the links!

Notes:

_Shishinden_ – literally 'throne room', the white building where they met Shigatsu Kanemitsu and his council for the first time (in Chapter 3).

_Shiratsuyu_ – lead ship in the destroyer class of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Made in the early 1930s, sunk after collision with tanker Seiyo Maru in 1944 near Surigao strait. (Great surfing over there!) Name means "shimmering dew". Just thought it sounded appropriate.

Still am no bomb expert. I just figured that if they did make those kinds of bombs in the OP universe, watch out, Luffy! If the marines ever get their hands on them…yikes. Seastone + motion sensor + directional detonation equals scary.

_Tatami_ – a traditional type of Japanese flooring, made of woven soft rush straw, and traditionally packed with rice straw (sometimes with styrofoam). Individual mats are made in a uniform size and shape, bordered by brocade or green cloth. Japanese homes today usually have one room with _tatami_, called the _washitsu_. Also used in religious rites, martial arts training, and the tea ceremony.

_Futon_ – sleeping mattress designed to be placed on top of the _tatami_ mat. It is rolled away in the day time to let the mat breathe, and to lend more space in the room.


	6. Chapter 6

Swords and Promises 6

To everyone who waited, thank you.

-0-

There it was again.

The same presence.

But somehow, this time, it was different. Inviting. Like a need. Beckoning him to look.

And his eyes opened, wanting to see the reward promised at the end of the tunnel.

After a moment's confusion, when the last traces of slumber had been chased off, there lay his treasure before him.

Tashigi.

Sleeping next to him like the most natural thing in the world.

Holy—

He should be running. Heck, he should be climbing the walls to get away.

But he wouldn't move.

He found that he _couldn't_.

His body stayed rooted to the spot, as though an invisible hand held him down where he lay.

_This has to be a dream_, he thought.

He found himself enchanted, by the way her delicate lashes fanned over her porcelain cheeks. Her soft pink mouth was slightly open. His eyes traced the graceful neck that peeked out of her kimono.

God, but she was beautiful.

And the funny thing was, she went around like she didn't know it.

This only made her more beautiful in his eyes.

Did something happen last night? Beautiful women don't sleep next to him, last he checked. He racked his brains, trying to think, then it came back to him.

Last night, he understood everything.

He hadn't known the real picture; he assumed her sword-chasing dreams were just a whim, a passing fancy. He hadn't known that she was exactly like him; clutching at a promise as well. It took them to a deeper level of understanding. They were carrying on the legacy of their swords, needing to protect what was most important to them.

She shifted in her sleep, snuggling nearer him. He caught a whiff of her hair then, a mixture of her sweet lemony shampoo, of clean soap, and the lingering traces of steel.

It made him want to move closer.

_What are you doing to me?_ he thought, as he drank in her intoxicating scent. A wave of possessiveness, and an overwhelming desire to protect her grew in his heart.

He allowed himself to bury his nose in her hair. He wanted to stay like this for a little while longer. At least until she woke up. Well, he didn't want to face her when she did. _Please, don't wake up yet…._

But his worst fears came to life.

She drew her head back and opened her eyes.

He braced himself for the oncoming onslaught. But then…

She blinked a few times, and saw him.

Her voice came, gentle and sweet: "Good morning."

His tongue seemed stuck to the roof of his mouth. He swallowed thickly. "G-good morning."

_This really must be a dream. _Ordinarily, he should be pummeled into the ground for lying next to her like this. But her eyes regarded him softly, and he felt his insides start to melt, little by little, from her gaze.

**SMASH!!**

A giant fist connected with his face, sending his head right through the floorboards.

"THAT'S FOR NOT WAKING UP!!"

Zoro's body stuck out from the floor at an odd angle, legs twitching.

_And for the kiss…_ she added, quietly, in her mind.

Tashigi rubbed her wrist, and smiled as she left the room.

-0-

Tashigi straightened her robes as she exited Zoro's room. She hoped that no one would notice she was still in yesterday's clothes, AND slipping out of a man's room. Even if he was supposed to be her fiancé. But he really isn't…oh, hang it all! Of all the indignities, this one she didn't want to face in front of anyone right now. _Please, just let me run right into my room to have my bath and change…_

"Gi-_chan_."

EEP! Of all the people to run into! The very last one she wanted to see!

"G-good morning, Taku," she willed herself to spin around to face him.

He was smiling at her with those insanely white teeth. She noticed that he was still wearing his sleeping _yukata_. "I've been waiting for you to come this morning. I seem to need fresh clothes for today."

"Ah, _g-gomen_, I was just about to get to that—"

"Is there a problem?"

"No! Everything's all right! Will you wait for me in your room? I'll be there in a sec!" She dashed off without waiting for his answer.

"I'll be waiting," he told her retreating form.

-0-

"Sorry, I woke up really late today. You didn't have to come looking for me. Sorry for the trouble," Tashigi said, keeping her eyes to the ground, as she handed him his clothes.

"No, it's ok, I just wanted to see you." He smiled at her again.

"O-Oh," she said. She felt the beginnings of a blush on her face.

"So, what did you do yesterday? I went looking for you but was told you were busy."

"I attended a business meeting with my father. It went quite well, actually."

"I remember the last meeting I went to," he said, with a shake of his head. "Or, actually, destroyed. You and your dung bombs, in your father's seat, no less."

"Hey, that was your idea! I was just the one that got caught!"

They laughed at their shared memories.

She drew back a sleeve as she laid a rack of hot towels before him, revealing a flash of a slim wrist. Takumi took the chance and grabbed her hand.

"Has anyone told you that you're beautiful?"

Her heart jumped. "W-what are you saying, Taku…?"

He brought her hand next to his lips. "Willful, strong, captivating." He punctuated each word with a kiss, trailing his lips up her arm. "I'm incredibly lucky to have a chance with you. After all those years, you've grown into a remarkable woman."

Her blush deepened. It was strange. But it felt like his flattery was affecting her. It isn't everyday you get told that.

"Does _he_ tell you that?"

She gave a start. "I—" She couldn't give an answer. It wasn't a fair question. _Of course he doesn't. Zoro…he would never look at me like that._

"To be with the Shigatsu princess, even for a time, is an honor by itself. The marines, too, are fortunate to have you."

"Well, uh, you know about me, let's talk about you," she attempted to shift the tide of the conversation. She didn't think her cheeks could take it anymore.

"About your _daisho_…the _Juuchi Fuyu_…"

"What about it?"

"Why do you carry this sword?"

He thought hard. "An heirloom gift from an uncle. Seems he doesn't want it anymore."

"Oh." She was expecting some dramatic answer, especially due to his sword's reputation. But he was all formality, speaking about it like unloaded junk. This was a departure from her highly romanticized view of swords.

"It's just a means to an end."

"What do you mean?" she asked, puzzled at the answer.

"I don't expect to wield it all my life. I'll find some better use for my time. Focus on a business perhaps."

Huh? Tashigi was still confused. "But aren't you an excellent swordsman? It would be a shame to throw it away."

"There are more important things," he said, looking directly at her, as he pressed another kiss to her hand.

What could be more important than his sword? Dissatisfied, she pulled back her hand from his grip. "Sorry, I should get going," she said, and motioned to leave.

"I'll see you later, my Gi-_chan_," he called out as she slid his doors shut.

-0-

Tashigi strode through the rows of yew bushes leading up to the Marunouchi courtyard. The palace staff chose this as the closest possible site where they could keep an eye on Zoro as he trained (to prevent further geographical mishaps).

She lugged along a wicker basket with a carefully packed _o-bento_ and a small container for chilled green tea. She intended to give Zoro a post-training treat: a picnic snack with her patented rice balls!

And no, she didn't seem annoyed at herself, even if her hair was comically fraying on end, a vein popping on her forehead from the implications. She never thought she would be the blushing little admirer that made cookies for her crush. No, that was something teenage girls do.

It wasn't because she felt guilty about this morning with Takumi (no definitely not that!). Nor was she trying to buy out her conscience for believing a bit in Taku's words (ok, so maybe she was). In her defense, being told such things did wonders to a woman's psyche. And she could use the praise once in a while.

_Yes, Tashigi, you're just showing everyone the choice you've made. And I choose Roronoa Zoro. _

_Just a means to an end. _

Her brow furrowed at remembering that line. Were these things just for efficiency? Was she a just a means to Takumi too? Did he treat all things like business deals?

She parted the overgrown hedges, whose branches had spilled onto the stone courtyard. She would have to talk to the gardeners about it. Her kimono hem promptly got stuck in the branches.

"Oh, stupid—" she muttered, but was stopped by seeing a green head with a katana in its mouth.

Zoro clutched onto what looked like a bunch of spare cannonballs, most likely gleaned from the workshop, each weighing around 40 pounds, comfortably in his arms. He threw them all high up in the air with little effort, and in a flash had unsheathed his two other swords. Crossing the three swords together, he struck at all six projectiles before they even hit the ground.

"_**Rokuren Oni Giri!"**_

Misshapen metal halves fell onto the stone floor, with earsplitting clangs.

Tashigi felt her heart stop, gasping in disbelief.

_Amazing._

She had heard of it, after his defeat of Daz Bones in Alabasta, how this wanted swordsman could cut through steel. But she had never seen it done, never in her life and never in her numerous scrapes with lesser pirates and criminal swordsmen.

Until now.

Cannonballs, swords, bullets. Everything would fall against this power. And this man standing before her had it in his grasp.

He turned his head upon hearing her, all three swords still out.

"What are you doing here?" he spoke clearly through the white hilt in his mouth.

"Um, I made you something." Her hands trembled as she held out the basket.

_I'm shaking like a leaf. Same as before. I still can't help but be awed by him._

He began sheathing his swords as he approached her. She tried to avoid his eyes on her. He grabbed both her outstretched arms and pulled her out of the hedges, after noticing she was stuck.

"Thanks," she said, blushing a bit. "You can take a break from training. Why don't we eat together on that bench?" She pointed to a stone bench underneath a nearby flowering _sakura_ tree. She led the way to it, laid the basket on the bench, and removed the _bento_ from its recesses. Off came the lacquered black lid, revealing individually wrapped rice balls.

"My specialty, I make them with _shio zake_ filling," she said, smiling up at him.

"Hmm, I like these."

"Well, seeing as you named your attack like them—"

"It's Demon Slash! _Demon Slash_!"

"Whatever you say," she giggled, with a roll of her eyes.

They each took a piece, and ate companionably beneath the tree branches, the blossoms painting shadows on them.

"Sorry about this morning," she said, after a while.

"I figured I deserved it somehow."

_Yeah, you did_, she thought, but smiled secretly.

The light breeze blew gently over them, setting the branches swaying, and ruffling their hair. Somewhere in the distance, a mass of sparrows chattered incessantly.

There was something else she needed to know.

"Zoro, why do you carry that sword?" she asked tentatively, eyes trained on the white-hilted one she had wanted to take from him.

"A promise."

"Hmm?"

He held out _Wado Ichimonji_ in front of him.

"Just as a _katana_ itself is precious, so must be the person you wield it for. I made a promise long ago, to keep getting stronger. To honor the sword entrusted to me."

She felt admiration in her heart. _Stronger_. That's something she promised herself too. His words touched something close to home.

That was the right answer. The one she wanted.

"Who—" she started to ask, but as she faced him, she found that he was looking at her quite intently, his eyes unblinking.

And now, why is he looking at me like that? It was enough that she felt conflicted when he was watching (staring) at her this morning as she woke up, how long was he looking at her? And now those eyes were on her again. She began to inch herself away from him on the bench.

"You have something here," he said, pointing at the corner of his mouth.

"Hmm?" she said, as she snapped out of her reverie. "O-oh," she stuttered out and wiped at her face with a sleeve.

"No, it's still there," he said, while she tried in vain to remove the offending grain of rice. He put down his _onigiri_ beside him. "Here, I'll get it."

He leaned in to her and she felt his fingertips brush her cheek lightly. The same fingers that she saw cut steel were on her. The same ones that held such fearsome power. His nearness created a buzzing she felt throughout her whole being. It brought him near enough for her to look deep into his eyes. She couldn't take it anymore, so she shut her eyes to avoid his intense stare. In a moment of panic, she shoved the half-eaten _onigiri_ in her hands into his face.

Surprised, Zoro withdrew his hand from her. And then he took a huge bite from the rice ball in front of him.

"Ehehe, sorry," she said, sheepishly.

"No, it's good," he said, with his mouth still full.

Laughing, she shoved the rest of the rice ball into his already full mouth, ignoring his mumbled cries of protest, while a multitude of pink petals rained on them, dancing with the slightest whisper of wind.

-0-

That afternoon, the preparations for the Tea ceremony were well under way.

The Tea House was a tiny wooden building, part of the main _Dairi,_ tucked neatly into a freestanding courtyard at the southwest end. It overlooked a traditional Zen rock garden, and a tended patch full of flowers.

Ensou Takumi was already present at the Tea House's waiting shelter, when Zoro arrived. They were both dressed in matching black _haori_ coats, and gray _hakama_ pants.

"Roronoa," he said in greeting, with enough malice to make it a sneer.

"Roach-boy," Zoro countered back.

"Funny. Well, at least she has a nickname for me. What does she call you? Common criminal? Or better yet, pirate scum?"

Zoro grabbed a fistful of the man's shirt, ready to beat the crap out of his face.

A throat was cleared to get their attention. They turned and saw Tashigi with four attendants in tow.

"_O-hime-sama_," they whispered, and she truly looked like one now.

Dressed in a formal emerald green _furisode_ kimono, with heavy, gold swirling embroidery, she smiled serenely at the two. There were wild red roses in her hair, the scent unmistakable in the cool air. The crimson wildly contrasted with the dark strands, setting off the scarlet _nagajuban _that peeked beneath the green robe, and her own milky white skin. A woven yellow obi tied everything in place.

Takumi was already bent over, taking her hand in his, pressing a kiss to her hand like he did that morning. "The pleasure is mine."

"Thank you, Taku."

Zoro was ready to smash him over the head with the rocks in the garden. So this was a game, huh? He won't lose to the likes of him!

"You ready?" She had taken her place next to the green-haired swordsman.

He nodded once. "No mistakes."

She took his hand in hers, unconsciously entwining her fingers through his. She gave his hand a squeeze.

"I know," she said, smiling.

The games had just begun.

-0-

After the ritual purification in the fountain basin, they made their way to the Tea House through the _roji_ that cut a path through the flower garden. The men removed their swords before entering. The door was a two and a half foot square that could only be entered by crawling. Tashigi entered first, followed by Zoro, then Takumi. They took their seats around the hearth in a depression at the center of the room. A _tokonoma_ alcove to their right held a scroll with beautiful calligraphy.

The elder Shigatsu entered the room after them, bringing along a box container for the utensils. He took his seat across the two men. "Welcome."

The three guests each made their bows of respect. "Thank you for having us," they each said in turn.

The tea ceremony began with a multi-course _kaiseki_ meal; with plate upon plate of exquisitely arranged dishes. This was followed by a modest serving of _sake_, and a piece of jellied plum. Then, the three left the room while their host prepared for the formal drinking of tea.

They returned to the waiting shed, to await his summons.

_So far, so good,_ thought Zoro.

-0-

The charcoal glowed and crackled as the elder Shigatsu stoked the embers.

They were back in the Tea House, seated again in _seiza_ around the hearth. An iron kettle filled with water was laid atop the hearth, heating it for the tea. After the ritual cleaning of the utensils, Shigatsu poured powdered green tea into a gold rimmed bowl, then ladled boiling water into it. He whisked the mixture with a bamboo brush, until it was frothy, then served it first to Tashigi. "Thank you, my daughter, for agreeing to my decision."

Bows were exchanged. "Thank you, too, father, for thinking of my future." She took several sips from the bowl, the thick, green liquid bitter in her throat. She then turned to her two suitors. With another bow, she said, "Thank you for considering me." They responded with a "Thank you for choosing us." She passed the bowl first to Takumi, who rotated the bowl and sipped at it, then he passed it onto Zoro, who finished the tea. The bowl was placed in front of Zoro.

All was well, until Shigatsu turned around to retrieve a cleaning cloth for the bowl.

_Plink._

A tiny sound, quite unremarkable, almost imperceptible, but what happened next was a surprise.

The bowl in front of Zoro tipped to its side and rolled away.

And just at that moment, Shigatsu turned towards them.

There was no time to put the bowl the right way up.

Their host noticed the bowl, and made a small indignant sound in his throat as he set the bowl back to its correct place.

Thunder raged in Zoro's mind. _Shit!_ Roach-boy was up to something! But what was it? The worst thing was, he had already shamed Zoro in front of Tashigi's father, and he couldn't do a thing about it in the confines of formality.

Score: Zoro – 0, Takumi – 1.

NO WAY he'd let it stay that way.

-0-

After the _koicha_ had been served, a plate of pretty pink _sakura mochi_ was served. Next came the serving of thin _usucha_ tea. Their host laid out three individual tea bowls for them.

_Plink_.

There it was again! Zoro decided to take matters in his hands. The fool was up to something again!

_Plink_. His tea bowl wouldn't budge yet, because it was full, but it was only a matter of time before it did.

That was it! Payback time!

Zoro readied his left hand, and in a flash of movement too quick for the eye to see, brought down a strike with a chant in his mind:

_Mūtoryu: Bakusai Tenketsu!_

A second passed.

A crack formed on Takumi's cup, then it broke into a million pieces.

Score: Zoro – 1, Takumi – 1. Deadlock.

If a crack in the cup was a bad omen, then a smashed one meant disaster!

_Hah!_ Zoro tried to hide his ear-to-ear grin, bowing his head to still keep things formal. Shigatsu motioned to the attendants to clean up the mess, and replace the cup destroyed.

-0-

"You did it, Zoro! You did it all!" Tashigi cried happily, once they were out of the Tea House.

"Told you." And he said it with an all-knowing smirk. "I even did it with a cheating maniac beside me."

Beside them, Takumi's eyes threw daggers at Zoro.

"What happened was due to his incompetence," he said, his slanted eyes narrowed into slits.

"That's impossible. I had a good teacher," Zoro looked at Tashigi.

"Oh, thanks, Zoro!" she gushed, encircling his neck with her arms. Takumi crossed his arms angrily when he saw this, so Zoro decided to rub salt in the wound. Keeping eyes on Takumi, he pulled Tashigi into an all-out hug.

_See that? She chose me_, he thought, evilly, in his head.

Takumi turned away furiously, long legs marching in an irritated stride.

Score: Zoro – 2, Takumi – 1. Zoro for the win!

"Zoro…" Tashigi was surprised at this, but gave into the embrace. With uncalculated innocence, she folded herself into the lean, hard lines of his body, pressing her soft body against him. He was taken aback at the feel of her, his senses picking up the familiar scent of her hair through the roses she wore. He tilted his face to her dark head, eager to drown in it like this morning. His arms wrapped themselves fully around her, bringing her even closer.

"Ahem."

They sprung apart when Tashigi's father called their attention.

"Good job, Zoro," he said, looking happy. "For now let us have a good dinner to celebrate."

-0-

That evening meal was a rather festive one, in contrast to the quiet and uptight atmosphere of that afternoon's ceremony.

They feasted on crispy _tempura_ and assorted _sushi._ Shigatsu had ordered free-flowing sake for all the guests. Tashigi went around, pouring the _sake_ out for the guests along with the servants.

The drink loosened up everyone, so much so that the serious, heavyset Councilor Daigoro began an entertaining war chant, while the beanpole Yuan convinced everyone to sing a folk song about Momotaro.

Shigatsu clapped his hands to get everyone's attention. "Ah, _minna_, this is not complete without hearing our princess sing," he said. "Tashigi, please sing for us."

"Yes, father."

She took her place at the front of the dining hall, receiving a _shamisen_ from an attendant. Bowing low to the guests, she then knelt down before them, instrument in hand. A hush fell upon the room.

She plucked deftly at the strings with an ivory pick, and the room was filled with mournful twanging. She struck the strings faster, and faster, till her voice soared above the sound, clear, and sweet, and mellow:

I always thought

I would give my life

To meet you only once

But now, having spent a night with you, I wish that I may

Go on living forever.

She slipped him a look, just a fleeting moment, a meeting of their eyes. But his heart sped up. Did he just imagine it? Did she really look at him? The words of the song came, sinking into him. Did they mean something? Distraught, he finished his _sake_ in one gulp, and asked for another.

When her song had finished, thunderous applause came from the guests.

"_O-hime-sama_, that was wonderful!"

"You haven't lost the touch!"

She bowed graciously at them, and willingly obliged their pleas for another song.

-0-

His eyes never left her again that entire night, as Tashigi resumed serving the _sake_ to all the guests. He kept drinking the stuff, disregarding his mantra against getting drunk. He must have drunken gallons of _sake_, but the elder Shigatsu insisted that they keep drinking their fill, and their cups were refilled as soon as they were emptied. And Zoro felt like a bottomless pit right now. He _needed _the stuff to chase away the funny feelings at the bottom of his chest.

Finally, the party wound down as one of the council members began snoring into his plate. Attendants came to escort the guests away. Takumi seemed rather woozy, too, swaying as he was being chatted up by one of the remaining council members.

_Wimp_, thought Zoro.

Tashigi bowed to her father as he left the room. She prepared to make her exit as well.

Zoro rose to his feet, and made his way towards her.

"Hey," he drawled out.

"Hey," she said in reply.

"Your singing…it was…I kinda liked it." What the heck was he saying?! His mind swirled, trying to keep rein of his words.

"Oh, th-thanks," she stammered, but her face looked confused. He took a step closer, but she backed away from him, until she reached a wall. He loomed before her.

"Zoro, you're drunk," she whispered, bringing a hand to his face.

"I don't get drunk," he replied, but his actions led him to doubt that. He lightly stroked the hand she had on his face. Her touch felt good.

Takumi had noticed the two of them, and ambled his way to them, intent on breaking them up. Zoro noticed this and whispered into her ear: "Let's get out of here."

She squeaked as he pulled her along the hallway. The dark-haired samurai was close at their heels, though.

Zoro felt like he was going to catch up, so he picked her clean off the ground and started running at breakneck speed.

"Zoro, what are you doing? Put me down!" she cried indignantly.

Good lord, what was he really doing? _It's the sake_, he told himself, but knew it was a lie.

"Just tell me how to get to my room."

"Wha—? Why are we going there?"

"I don't want Roach-boy to find you."

Huh? Where did that come from?

"Oh, fine!" And she shouted the directions as he lugged her along.

-0-

"Yes, I'm sure that we lost him." Tashigi crossed her arms in front of her, as Zoro kept watch through the slit-like opening of the door of his room.

"You can never be sure."

"Why? What's the worst thing that can happen if he does meet me? The guy is probably heartbroken!" She raised an arm to her forehead for dramatic effect.

He whipped around and looked at her with fiery eyes. He kept looking, as she cowered a little in his stare.

Why was he looking at her again this time? There's no rice on her cheek now, or was there? She put a tentative hand to her face to be sure.

"U-um," she began. "Maybe he…really wants to marry me? Did you ever think of that?"

"You? The guy's probably just desperate." _Oh, idiot! Why did you just say that?_ he chided himself.

"What!? How dare you!?"

Of course he didn't mean that! The way she looked right now, any man would be hard up or else blind to not consider marrying her. "I-I mean…"

She aimed a fist at his face but Zoro deftly avoided it, sidestepping her right hook effortlessly. Instead, he grabbed her arm and twisted it behind her, locking her in front of him.

"You think you can hold me?" she said, gasping lightly from the pain. She hooked her other arm around his neck, and with a mighty shout threw him off her, head first, in a judo maneuver.

But he wasn't finished. He grabbed her ankle and she tumbled down onto the floor in a heap of _kimono_.

"Ok, ok—_wheeze_—s-stop, we should stop—"

And they were laughing as they got off the floor, trying to catch their collective breath.

"Well," she started, when she had gotten most of her breath back. "I shouldn't be listening to someone who's never ever getting married!" _Oh! Why did I just say that?_

"That's probably true."

"Why? You haven't ever thought of marriage? You know, settling down?"

"No. Never," he said, gruffly. He never really gave it any thought; he was too busy trying to be the world's best swordsman to ever think of what lay ahead.

She thought a bit. "I guess I haven't really thought of it, too. I always knew it was some requirement for leading our clan. But when I left for the army, it was never one of my goals."

"When you pick up the sword, you learn to throw those things away."

They sat in silence for a while, as they reflected on it.

"But," she propped her chin on one hand. "Wouldn't it be nice to have someone to come home to everyday? Well, in my case, someone to spar with. And talk to after a long, busy day. And give me backrubs while we're at it." She laughed at her proclamation.

_Yeah, it wouldn't be so bad,_ she thought.

And suddenly, she is struck by her situation. What if she were really to choose between two suitors, both vying for her precious hand in marriage? She wonders, what it would feel like, to be sitting here with her lover, the man she would marry.

How would it feel like, to be truly in love?

Zoro reached out to touch her, and she suddenly jumped from the contact. The warmth from his hand burned her skin, spreading like fire.

_What if…he were really in love with me?_

"Like this?" And his hands trailed across her back, in a feeble attempt at a joke.

"He—ey, th-that tickles! You're doing it wrong!" she laughed as his hands inched their way to her shoulders.

"Ah, stop! Stop, stop, stop! That's not a backrub anymore! Hahaha!" She put her hands on his chest, trying to push him away. Her efforts made her drop to the floor to escape his hold. Zoro followed suit, never letting his hands leave her.

He unknowingly rolled her underneath him, straddling her body. His hands continued their inexorable journey, still waging a war on her ticklish sides, reducing her to a heap of giggles. Before he could catch himself, his hands began reveling in the softness of her body, her curves apparent underneath all the layers of cloth beneath his fingertips.

"Aaah—"

She let out a small moan, which surprised him; he must have hit a spot.

God, but he liked the sound of it.

_It _must_ be the sake,_ he thought. _It has to be._

He looked up at her face.

He then smiled at her, one of his signature evil, lazy smiles that turned up the corner of his mouth, with his eyes having a glint of, dare she say it, such _devastating_ allure, that if he wanted to do something exceedingly wicked to her she would gladly accept, no questions asked…

_It wouldn't be so bad, if he had green hair and a smile that makes my heart jump every time…_

And then she was aware of his hands on her.

"I-I should leave," she said, suddenly nervous.

She broke away from him, pushing him off her and herself off the floor, on wobbly legs. In her rush to leave, she forgot to even slide his doors shut.

She began running. She had to get away.

What was that?

What was she thinking? Staying in his room (again), saying those things to him, letting him come so close, as naturally as she felt, sitting sprawled out on his floor, face propped on an elbow, chatting like old friends…

Her imagination was going wild again. In the rush of things, she wanted to believe it was all real. Somewhere there, she wanted to stop pretending.

_It wouldn't be so bad…_

She got carried away, it seems, believing in a lie, a lie she herself had devised, she herself created, which now was threatening to envelope her. Because she…

She shivered at the thought, of her wayward feelings almost leading her and leading him on to God-knows-what if he had continued…if she had let him continue…

Oh, God, Zoro…

But she wanted him to. She wanted him to, so badly.

_It wouldn't be so bad… to come home to you._

She ran all the way to her quarters, trying to hold back tears, while the man she had just left sat alone, cursing himself, hating himself, for thinking the very same thing.

-0-

This comes at a tumultuous time in my life, so _gomen nasai_ for the delay. (sniff)

Please review!! I need to know what this piece made you feel.

I drew Tashigi in the kimono she was dressed in! Check my profile for the link!

Culture Notes:

_Rokuren Oni Giri_ – Six consecutive Demon Slash (es)

_Onigiri_ – triangular rice parcel wrapped with _nori_ (seaweed wrap), a popular portable snack in Japan. Made with a variety of fillings.

_Shio Zake_ – dried salted salmon flakes

_Haori_ – hip- or thigh-length kimono jacket which adds formality

_Furisode_ – literally "swinging sleeves", a formal kimono with floor length sleeves worn principally by unmarried women.

_Nagajuban_ – kimono-shaped robe designed to be worn underneath the main outer garment. Formal nagajuban are usually white, but they may also be ornately patterned or made in striking colors like Tashigi's. Only the collar is seen underneath the main garment, so some forms have detachable collars to help match it with different outfits.

_Roji_ – literally "Dewy path", the path leading from the garden shelter to the main Tea House, which as described goes through a simple garden to end at the Tea House proper.

I tried to keep the Tea Ceremony description as short as possible (because I'm not an expert on this), but put enough details to give you a feel of the ritual. This was done in a _Hakobe Temae_ style. Tea ceremony utensils are usually heirloom antiques to be held with care, wiped clean before and after use.

_Koicha_ – thick, bitter green tea, served in a prescribed formal manner

_Usucha_ – thin green tea, served after the _koicha_, in a less formal manner

_Sakura mochi_ – soft glutinous rice dumpling tinted cherry blossom pink, filled with bean paste and wrapped in a cherry tree leaf, popular in the springtime. These are so good, I brought home a box from a trip to Japan. Can't wait to get more! The ones I got from Ueno are the best. (grin)

_Mutoryu: Bakusai Tenketsu_ – Swordless style: Breaking Point Technique (borrowed it from Ryoga Hibiki in Ranma ½, hehe)

_Sake_ – Japanese rice wine

_Tempura_ – fried breaded prawns

Momotaro – hero from Japanese folklore. According to the legend, he was found by a childless couple floating on the river in a giant peach (hence, _momo_). When he grows up, he befriends a talking dog, monkey, and pheasant en route to Onigashima (demon island) to slay the demons that lived there. The three admirals in the One Piece universe are named after these three magical animals. _Momotaro no uta_ (Momotaro's song) is a popular children's song first published in 1911.

_Shamisen_ – three-stringed Japanese banjo, played with a gingko leaf-shaped plectrum, in ivory, tortoiseshell or wood

The song that Tashigi sings is actually a _waka_ poem written by the 10th century aristocrat Fujiwara no Yoshitaka. (A waka is a 5-line poem with 31 syllables, similar to a haiku. Its syllable pattern is 5-7-5-7-7.) It is one of the hundred poems in the _Ogura Hyakunin Isshu _(One hundred people, one poem each); a collection compiled by the scholar and poet Fujiwara no Teika (1162-1241) in the 12th century Heian period of Japan. This translation is a recent one by Peter McMillan (Copyright: Columbia University Press, Dec.14, 2007).


	7. Chapter 7

Swords and Promises 7

I was so touched by all the reviews. Thank you for staying with me. (sniff)

One Piece is not mine.

-0-

_An excuse. An excuse._

Zoro roamed the halls of the _Dairi_ aimlessly, having no idea where the heck he was in particular. The stretches of seemingly endless floor space, buildings, and rooms all looked the same to him. Every turn brought him to another identical hallway.

Zoro was used to the feeling. The feeling of being lost.

But why he was voluntarily _making_ himself lost was another matter entirely.

He tried to deny it, tried to push it to the very back of his mind, but it was clear as day:

He wanted to see her.

But he couldn't find a reason to. An excuse to.

The inhabitants of the palace may gush and dismiss it as true love, if you may; they were supposedly engaged and there was no problem with wanting to see your beloved, right? But it wasn't everyone else that he was worried about. It was Tashigi. What excuse did he have for wanting to see her? What would he tell her? Especially after last night…

He had it bad; that morning, he had feigned sleep so that he could watch her with one eye cracked open, while she did her morning ritual of preparing his clothes. He had no heart to speak to her, self-conscious as he was about his actions the day before. He tried to forget what had happened, he drowned himself in training just like he used to. Yet throughout the entire day, thoughts of her invaded him. He'd wave it away, but just as soon as he did, he'd remember the touch of her skin, or the way she smiled. And now, he was longing to catch even a glimpse of her.

He asked around, every attendant he passed mentioned something about a "fitting", whatever that was. They said that she might be tied up for the while. So he had to find this fitting. Maybe he should just start opening doors, try every single one until he found her. Would he be lucky enough?

After what probably was the hundredth hallway he had rounded, he decided to enter the next room he encountered. Maybe, just maybe, he would find her.

He decided on the first door at his right. It was a pair of wooden double doors, heavily varnished and carved throughout with a pattern of birds and flowers. His hands ran through carvings; he was startled to find that the flowers were roses. Roses. Just like the ones in her hair.

_Damn it._

There goes his head again. Hopefully he'd be cured once he sees her. _If_ he sees her…

He put his two hands on the doors and threw them open.

Soft voices filled his ears, their muted tones bouncing off the far walls of the wide room. Whispers, a faint giggle or two, and quiet sighs reached him from afar. A multitude of lamps lit the scene before him, blending with the afternoon sun from the windows, the succeeding glow brighter than the cloudless, spring day outside.

There was a figure in the center of the room, in a billowing ivory white gown. Six attendants surrounded her, their hands worked tirelessly with the hemming, sewing, and repairing of the gown, as the person in it stood patiently still. Even with the clatter of the opening doors, it took a moment for the group to notice his presence, and when they did, the room grew silent with the abrupt cut in their chatter. The figure and her attendants turned their heads towards him.

Brown eyes met his, the brown eyes he wanted to see.

It was Tashigi.

The gown she had on swirled around her like a cloud, encrusted in seed pearls and crystal beads. Intricate designs were embroidered in gold and silver thread, complementing the rich, brocaded white silk. Her hair was swept up off her face into a white headdress with pale pink peonies between its scalloped golden edges. A short gossamer veil hung from the edges, framing her face.

"Zoro…" she said, rather flustered. "You shouldn't be here…"

In all his life, he had never seen anyone look so beautiful.

As she blushed prettily behind the veil, he realized what it was.

A wedding dress.

_Her_ wedding dress.

And he felt like he should say something, and his jaw moved up and down, but no sound came.

In his mind, the room around him dissolved into nothingness. There was nothing else there, save the two of them. Everything else was drowned out and still. He felt almost like an intruder, looking in at a precious and sacred event. To be allowed to see her like this, it must mean…

Her eyes were still on him; they beckoned to him from far away.

Her eyes…they told him that she was dressed like this for him to see.

Only for him.

She opened her mouth again, and she would tell him something…something he longed to hear…

"Taku?"

Zoro felt himself crash land into the real world with a thud. His fantasy ended abruptly, rapidly deflating like a leaky balloon.

She certainly would NOT say that to him.

He looked to his left, and the perpetrator with the unfortunate honor of having the name she uttered stood next to him. Being caught in his daydreams, he hadn't noticed his rival sneak up beside him. Apparently, he was as mesmerized by the sight of her, too; his eyes had a hazy cast to them.

"Gi-_chan_…" the dark-haired swordsman unstuck his tongue faster than Zoro could. "You…look like…like a dream."

"O-oh, thank you," Tashigi said.

One of the attendants wearing spectacles had crossed the room and moved to close the doors. "I'm sorry, gentlemen, but please wait outside until this is finished."

"Wait," Takumi said, flinging out a hand to stop the doors. "If I may be permitted," he pleaded. "May I ask to speak with you, Gi-_chan_, in private? After this?"

"Oh, w-well…"

"Please? It's something important. By the Inari shrine? Remember like we used to?"

She remembered the place. They spent many days as children there, playing together.

The attendant to Tashigi's right touched her through the sleeve of her dress, jerking her out of her silence.

"O-of course…"

Takumi flashed a smile of relief. "Thank you, princess. I'll be waiting."

And he left as quickly as he came.

Zoro watched him walk away in disbelief. He was stunned at the turn of events. He was about to protest, but the attendant had her hands on the doors again.

"Please, wait outside until the end of the fitting."

And she closed the doors in his face.

-0-

"Ah, _O-hime-sama_, what a dilemma you have!" the attendant who had closed the doors said when she came back.

"Junko-_san_, what are you saying?" Tashigi asked, blinking in surprise.

"To be in the middle of two hot-blooded young men! Ah, to be young again!"

"Junko!" snapped another attendant. "Stop that! Princess, please excuse her impertinence!"

Tashigi shook her head. "That's alright, Reira, really…"

"But if you do want my opinion," continued Reira, in a whisper. "I'd go with the dark-haired one!"

Squeals and giggles erupted from the girls.

"What? No way! That Zoro is so ruggedly handsome! You should pick him, your highness!"

"Yes, I agree! I mean, he traveled all the way here for you! And you guys have been engaged from the start!"

"But Takumi has great eyes…"

The squealing started anew.

Tashigi just gamely smiled, and if it could, a giant sweatdrop would have formed on her forehead from listening to all of this. _If only they knew…_she thought, sadly.

-0-

Zoro waited impatiently for the fitting to be over. He stayed put right outside the door, until she had changed into her usual attire. Her gaggle of attendants escorted her out. He took the opportunity to grab her arm.

"What was that?" he asked her, in a harsh voice.

The attendants turned around, worried. Tashigi waved them away with a hand. "Please, you can all leave. I'll be fine. I'll just have a talk with him."

They made their bows and left, albeit with concerned eyes.

Zoro pulled her down the hallway as soon as they were alone. "Why did you say yes to meeting him?" he asked, heatedly.

"I-I panicked, people were watching. I couldn't say no."

"And why not?"

"Because I have to show that I'm still cordial and fair to both parties." She kept her eyes to the ground. "They may suspect a plan in the works, you know."

"And…" she started, tentatively. "Takumi is still a…a friend."

"I don't want you to see him," he said, his grip on her arm tightening painfully.

"But I already said yes! I can't leave him there waiting for me!"

"So? Let the shithead wait."

She struggled under his grip.

"_Itai_! Zoro, that hurts!"

"I said no!" It wasn't a request; it was an order.

Her eyes widened. He had crossed the line.

"Let go of me, Roronoa." Her tone dropped down, into an icy level.

It startled him; she hadn't called him that since coming to this island. However, he remained unruffled, and shot back: "Stop acting like a spoiled rich brat! You don't want to do this!"

"Don't you dare tell me what to do. Maybe you should remember your place, remember why you're here!"

"I'm here to protect you from him! He doesn't want you! He's just desperate, or he wants you for your money!"

She was angry now. "Isn't my money what you want, too? And what do you know? I don't need your opinion! You're just some stinking pirate!"

That cut agonizingly through him. It made him release her.

She gasped and put two hands over her mouth. Why did she say that?

After a few moments, he moved to grab her shoulder, but she evaded his grasp.

"Don't…don't try to stop me! I'm not someone that you can order around! Don't pretend that you own me!" And she turned away, and rushed down the hall.

He watched as she ran off. He stood there, stunned to silence.

She was right, after all.

-0-

Tashigi's steps echoed through the tunnel of vermilion _torii _gates that led to the Inari-taisha shrine.

She was feeling horrible, having said such terrible things to Zoro back in the hallway. He certainly didn't deserve something like that. For the past days, he had actually proven everything she thought of him as wrong. He was far from the evil pirate she had made him out to be. Having agreed to go along with her idiotic plans, he had to be an insanely understanding person at the very least.

_Maybe this really is a bad idea…_

Takumi was waiting for her at the entrance to the shrine. He smiled at her as she approached.

"I thought you wouldn't come," he said, sighing in relief.

"I said yes, didn't I?" she answered, with a smile of her own.

He motioned with his head towards the shrine, and they walked side by side towards the entrance. His hand snaked out to take her hand in his.

Tashigi swallowed. It was happening again. "So, what was it that you wanted to talk about?"

Takumi's tilted eyes looked up and down at the shrine's elaborate _haiden_. "This place brings back so many memories."

It was one of their favorite hide-and-seek places. There were so many nooks and crannies to hide in and explore. Once, they had used the sacred _honden_ as a hiding place, until they were found out. The shrine has also been the site for their island's summer _matsuri_. They had attended that festival every year when they were children, and it was something to look forward to. There were fireworks, shows, games, and most importantly, lots of sweets and munchies for them to eat.

"I was also thinking our wedding should take place here."

"H-huh?"

Tashigi jerked her hand away from him. "Who said anything about 'our' wedding?"

Takumi just smiled. "I also wanted to get into the details, where we'd live, managing your father's business…"

"Excuse me, but you haven't won me yet! Who said I'm marrying you?" Her hands were balled into fists at her sides.

He shook his head. "Gi-_chan_, if you want what's best for you, you should agree with your father's decision."

She felt scandalized. "I have a say in this too! Only I can decide for myself!"

"Look, Gi-_chan_, you are heir to one of the biggest industries in the Grand Line. You have the power, prestige, and money that many can only aspire to. You can't just disregard that. Your father chose me because of my background and interest in his business. Together, we could take it to new heights."

"That's what you want all along! It's the business you want, and the power and money that goes along with it!"

"Tashigi, of course it's what I want," he said, holding up his hands in front of him in explanation. "I want it for both of us, for our future, and for our future family."

"What if it's not what I want for myself? Have you ever thought of that? I've chosen my path in life, there are goals I have set that I want to achieve!"

"You can't be serious. You wouldn't want to go through your entire life swinging a sword. You'll have to settle down."

"You…you wouldn't understand," she said, turning her head away from him. "Not someone who regards his swords so lightly. Zoro…he…he would never—"

"That man is a joke, toting around three swords, as if compensating for something—"

Horrified, she snapped her head back at him.

"Don't talk about him like that! You don't know him!"

"And _you_ do? He's just a hired man to do your bidding. He's a _pirate_, for crying out loud."

"Yes, he's a pirate. But… he's not like a normal pirate at all." She eyes grew soft as she remembered him while he tried learning the Tea Ceremony in the span of a day, and when he listened to her when she was feeling down after her father lashed out at her. "He's honorable, and kind. He's incredibly skilled. Why, in Alabasta—"

"I don't want to hear about him."

"He…he listens to me," she continued. "He understands my dreams. And he promised to protect me."

"I can do all of that, too. And…I can learn to love you."

Then he grabbed her by the waist, his lips crashing into her own. There was no tenderness in his kiss, just his harsh, persistent lips trying to pry hers open. She fought back, vainly trying to dislodge his grip on her.

-0-

He found himself lost again.

Zoro was at the back of the palace grounds, trying futilely to find the location of the Inari shrine. Where the hell was it? There were no servants to ask for directions here, and even if he had directions, that was no guarantee of finding the place.

Right now, the path he was taking _seemed_ like the way to the shrine. He thought he would try seeing it through the end. Maybe he would be lucky like the last time?

He reached the end of the _torii_ gates in the path.

And then he found them.

Locked in a kiss. His arms around her waist.

The first thing his mind did was go blank.

"…"

"…"

There was a crazy, crushing feeling in his chest, something he had never known.

After the momentary pause, he felt his world darken around him, and burning rage rush in his veins.

He began unsheathing his swords.

The metallic sound was enough to draw their attention.

Tashigi saw him, and looked like she was about to cry. "Z-Zoro…"

"Unhand her." Anger seethed from his voice and from every pore in his skin.

But Takumi smirked, and made no move.

"NOW."

Takumi gave out a snort. "So you want this, huh?" He pushed Tashigi away, and began unsheathing his own pair of swords.

"No, don't…" Tashigi moved to stop them, but the two had started to charge towards each other.

As soon as he approached his opponent, Zoro felt something stab through his chest.

He looked down.

A dark blade had pierced through his heart; his own scarlet blood coursing in rivulets from the wound, staining his clothes.

_What—_

But just as soon as he noticed it, the blade was gone. His chest was fine.

He blinked, and he saw that Takumi's blades were still coming at him.

It was in an infinitesimal second that he recovered and blocked the attack; his neck a hair's breadth away from being lopped off.

The resulting clash of steel made them spring apart, both eager to draw a bit of breath.

Zoro was still trying to recover from the shock. _What the heck was that?_ He patted the area where he saw the blade pierce him. There was nothing there, no blood, no blade, and no pierced flesh.

But the pain had been real.

Takumi renewed his stance, crossing his two swords in front of him. The _Juuchi Fuyu_ glinted malevolently back at its enemy.

Such a foreboding glint.

_The blade!_ Zoro had never encountered such intense bloodlust from a blade before. From the moment it was unsheathed, it had marked him; it wanted his blood. So the rumors about the cursed blade were true.

Zoro took his stance. He would have to finish this in one move. Who knows what greater effect his enemy's blade could have on him? He readied all three blades, just as his opponent set his attack.

**"_Tatsumaki_!!"**

**"_Yukikaze_!!"**

Zoro felt the force of not just one, but 5 imaginary blades pierce through his body. The resulting shock of pain made him cry out, and stagger slightly to the left. Takumi's attack nearly caught him, if not for his reflexes that pulled him out of the way at the last instant. But the force from the dark blades still cut through the air, its tail end catching his shoulder in its wake. It was enough to bring him down to the ground; the cut on his shoulder began to bleed.

Takumi had avoided his attack entirely, and grinning evilly, raised his swords again and prepared to strike. Zoro stood up, not bothered at all by his injury. They both started another charge, but suddenly, Takumi's steps faltered when he felt something pull him back.

"Taku, no, please stop this!" Takumi looked down. Tashigi had thrown her arms around his waist as she pressed herself to his back.

"Please…"

Zoro stopped his attack, too. He saw her arms around his enemy; saw how she held onto him.

Something in him shattered.

Takumi sheathed his swords, then turned around to look at Tashigi. She had relinquished her hold of him, and began backing away. He reached out and traced fingers down her cheek, then cupped her face. "Gi-_chan_…." She flinched from his touch.

"Think about what I said," Takumi told her, tilting her face up to his. She shut her eyes, refusing to look at him. It was another moment before he let go of her, then strode away, leaving them alone. She fell to her knees, a sob escaping her lips. Once he was gone, she made her way to the remaining swordsman, whose head was bowed down, dark shadows obscuring his eyes.

"Zoro! Are you ok?"

He raised his head, slowly. She had never seen his eyes hold so much anger. It frightened her to no end.

"I didn't need your help." It came out like a snarl.

She raised a hand to his shoulder, but he smacked it away roughly.

"I said I didn't need it!"

She was taken aback, hurt and confused about the entire thing. "I'm…I'm sorry…"

"What did you do?" he spat out. "Tell me! What did you do?"

"We were j-just talking…"

"Just talking? You call that talking?"

"I-I didn't kiss him!" She was panicking now. "He kissed me!"

He turned away from her.

"Zoro…please…I'm sorry! It's my fault! It's all my fault!"

He scrubbed a hand through his hair. "You…you made a deal with him. That's it. You never wanted out in the first place!"

"No, Zoro! No! Don't you believe me?" She wrung her hands on his clothes.

"It must be so good to have money and be some princess!" he said, deliriously. "You can just blow off anyone you want!"

He whipped back around, grabbing her neck in a crushing grip.

"Tell me, why did you choose me, huh? Of all the people, why me?"

"I…" she choked out. His long fingers tightened around her neck.

"To rub it in my face? To get me arrested?"

"_Ungh_…please…"

"Why me? TELL ME!!"

_This isn't Zoro. No, this is someone else…_

She tried to pry off his hand, her vision clouding over from lack of air.

He released her, and she crumpled to the ground, dry hacking coughs racked her body as she struggled to gain her breath.

"I never should have believed you. I should have known…because it's _you_." His voice mirrored his anguish. "With that face you stole…"

She rose to her feet, unsteadily, but her eyes were defiant.

**_PAK!!_**

She slapped him, hard, on his left cheek; the blow enough to make him stagger slightly.

"After all this time, " she began, as her tears spilled onto her cheeks. "After all this time, I still don't have your trust, when I have given you all of mine! After defending you when anyone puts you down! I thought…I thought that…"

There was so much hurt in her eyes that it was painful to look at them. Pangs of guilt suddenly struck Zoro to the core.

"And this face, " she said, pointing to herself, "is mine alone! Not anyone else's!!"

She turned and ran away from him, for the second time that day.

_Where are you, Zoro? _she thought, brushing back her tears as she ran. _The real one. The one that I know._

Zoro stood there, alone again. He fingered his cheek. The slap had hurt him more than any blade ever could.

-0-

The next chapter might be delayed. I have to take care of the chaos that is my life (my future depends on it). Sorry for leaving you hanging (but maybe I meant to do that? hehe).

Please review! I just might get inspired to write sooner! (smile)

Culture Notes:

In a traditional Shinto wedding, the bride wears a white wedding kimono dress called _shiro-maku_ (_shiro_ means white, _maku_ means pure/innocent). The _uchikake_ is the outermost part of the wedding kimono, usually in heavy silk brocade. It is worn as a sort of coat, so the obi is not tied over it. It is heavily padded at the hem because it is supposed to trail on the floor. It may be white or very colorful, with red as a base color (red symbolizes happiness). The bride also usually wears a stylized wig decorated with golden accessories and decorations that resemble a spike, symbolizing fertility. She may also wear a white hat named _tsunokakushi_, which is worn to hide the bride's horns of jealousy, ego, and selfishness. For Tashigi's dress, I kept it pure white, with heavy embroidery and beading that shows her status. Her headdress is a combination of the traditional white boat-like cap worn with the wig and the _tsunokakushi_ hat. Here, she uses her own hair. I just added the veil for effect. I'll make a drawing of this soon. (happy smile)

_Torii_ – traditional Japanese gate found at the entry to a Shinto shrine. It may also be found in Buddhist temples. It has two upright supports and two crossbars on the top, and is usually painted vermilion (orange-red). Some _torii_ have tablets with writing mounted between the crossbars. Traditionally, _torii_ are made of wood or stone, but now, steel is also utilized. _Torii_ mark the transition from the sacred (the shrine) to the profane (the normal world).

_Inari-taisha_ – based on the real Fushimi Inari-tashai shrine, the head shrine of Inari, located at Fushimi-ku, Kyoto, Japan. The shrine sits on the base of Mt. Inari. It is famous for its entrance to the Inner shrine, which is lined by thousands of _torii_ gates.

_Matsuri_ – 'festival' or 'holiday', usually sponsored by a local shrine or temple

_Haiden_ – hall of worship, with seats for worshippers

_Honden_ – 'sanctuary', area where the _kami_, or deity is enshrined

_Tatsumaki_ – literally 'tornado', translates as 'Dragon twister', one of Zoro's attacks, first used on Hachi in the Arlong park arc. He uses three swords to create a spiral current. It also has been used in a swordless style form. One of his most powerful attacks, it was used to break through Tekkai in the Enies Lobby arc. How did Takumi evade this attack? It's a combination of factors (smile).

_Yukikaze_ – literally 'snowy wind'. Takumi's attack wherein the two swords are crossed in front, then slashed simultaneously outward to create an expanding arcing slash. Borrowed from the name of the Japanese _kagero_-class destroyer warship in World War II.


	8. Chapter 8

Swords and Promises 8

Thank you for waiting! I hope you romantics out there enjoy this chapter!

One Piece is not mine.

-0-

Roronoa Zoro is not the kind of guy who apologizes.

He is every bit the ruthless pirate he is portrayed as.

He takes what he wants.

Now why, of all times, was he conflicted, tossing and turning in bed, trying to get to sleep?

Surely, he didn't care about another person's feelings, unless it mattered to him.

Surely, he wasn't affected.

And now, why was he in front of her doors, trying to get in and see her?

The answers were unclear, even to the person in question.

"The princess gave express orders not to let anyone in," the burly guard told him, standing in the wide _rouka _that led to her room. "She does not wish to be disturbed."

A vein popped in Zoro's forehead. He wasn't one for negotiations, either. He was especially not in a negotiating mood right now.

It took two fists to get it through to them. Two well-placed fists and the guards would sleep till morning.

He rubbed his knuckles, and stepped unceremoniously over their slumped bodies.

He slid the circular doors quietly, and slipped inside.

Zoro's eyes tried to adjust to the darkness. A far corner held a single lamp that gave sparse light to an otherwise spacious room, lined with expensive _tatami_ flooring. Every corner held a decorative _shoji_ folding screen, each delicately hand-painted with a landscape scene of misty mountains and golden bamboo groves.

A door opened from the east side of the room, and steam wafted out. The light from that doorway framed a slender figure in a plain _yukata_, rubbing her damp hair with a fluffy towel.

And then she saw him.

She dropped the towel in shock.

"What are you doing here?" she whispered harshly.

He took a tentative step towards her. At this point, he really didn't know what to say. He was at a loss for words. He had never been in such a situation, and wished he had some talent for words like any of his _nakama_. He didn't have the worldly panache like Sanji, even though it disgusts him to admit it. Neither did he have smooth talking skills like Usopp, but it wouldn't do him any good; Zoro never really lies, and he wouldn't start doing so right now. Even Luffy might have some inspiring thing to say, although it might be related to food. But what to say to her? All he could do was be here, and he ought to do something, but he just couldn't figure it out.

She took a step back from him, and her eyes caught the lamplight, revealing what he dreaded was there: it was fear.

"What did you do to my guards?" she continued. She began edging the wall of the room in an attempt to get around him.

He had messed up whatever they shared, if they shared anything at all, these past days. Certainly there was something, a closeness, a connection perhaps?

But he tends to lose it, right at the moment he realizes it.

Maybe he wasn't meant for such things.

"How dare you come here!?"

She had almost reached a corner of the room. Her back was still pressed against the wall, trying to keep as much distance as she could between them. "_Ano_…"

"I won't listen to you!"

"No, it's just…"

She tossed her head angrily, and turned around, haughtily, with a loud _hmph_.

"You're going to hit the—"

Then she promptly smacked her face into her divider.

BOOM! CRASH!

She was reduced to a heap of limbs and splayed legs, the translucent paper panels of the folding screen ripped and wooden frames cracked under her weight.

"Ow." She sat up, rubbing her sore bottom.

The dust settled, then Zoro's face split into a grin. And much to her dismay, he began laughing like a maniac.

"I can't win with you," he said, not trying to stifle his laughter.

Tashigi mentally smacked herself._ Why am I such a klutz at the worst possible times? And in front of him, too, of all people!_

He knelt down and tried to help her up, but she slid away from him, still terrified of his presence. He persisted, his hands reaching out to pull her back to him by the shoulders. He could feel her trembling in his grasp. She tried to stifle a sob at the sudden contact.

He tilted his head, brushing his cheek against her hair. At that instant, it felt just right, he knew what he had to say. Very quietly, he whispered into her ear, with a tenderness she didn't know he possessed: "I'm sorry."

Her eyes went wide.

_Zoro…_

Her eyes welled up.

_It's...__ Zoro. The real one. He's back._

She began sobbing, collapsing onto his shoulder as he pulled her into a hug.

-0-

He held her silently until she had calmed down.

"About what I said…" Zoro said after a while. "It was unfair to you."

"Huh?" she said, swiping at her tears with the back of a hand.

He lifted himself off the floor, guiding her gently up with him to settle down onto the laid out _futon_.

They sat without speaking for many moments, until Zoro willed enough courage to talk.

"I have…a past…that I don't want touched," he began, the crack in his voice barely discernible. He looked down at his hands. "You touch it without even meaning to."

"You were a very inconvenient person to me. I realized that, and I tried to get away. I told you to stop imitating someone. But that was unfair. It was never your fault."

"The girl who looks like you, the one with your face…she was the daughter of the dojo owner who took me in. Her name was Kuina."

"Kuina," she repeated. It sounded rather familiar to her.

"She was…the one person I could never beat. I joined the dojo because I could not get past her. So I trained. Trained hard for years. At some point I could even beat the adults. And yet, I still ended up losing to her." He laughed, somewhat bitterly, at his memories.

"She was the best in the dojo, the best there ever was. But her father still thought she wouldn't be fit to carry on his legacy, because she was a girl. She resented that fact so much."

_Yes, that does sound familiar. It's easy to confuse the two of us with each other_, thought Tashigi.

"Then one night, I challenged her to a duel. With real swords. I was feeling confident then that I could beat her. I thought it would be our final duel. But I still lost. I wasn't good enough. It turns out, I still had no stamina for real swords."

"But the victory was empty for her. She said I was lucky to have been born a man, because she would eventually become weaker as a woman. I told her that if she believes that then all my effort and training had been wasted. She had been my goal all that time, so it didn't matter whether you were man or woman in a swordfight."

"That night, we made a deal. For one of us to become the best swordsman in the world. We shook on that."

"The very next day, she fell down the stairs and she died."

Tashigi's mouth opened in shock. The reality of his past became quite clear, the implications tugging painfully at her heartstrings. A knot of guilt formed inside her, remembering all the careless things she had accused him of, things she knew she never meant. "I…I didn't know," she said, softly.

"But I didn't forget our promise. I asked for her sword so that I could keep our promise."

"The sword that defeated me, the one that belonged to her…"

"_Wado Ichimonji_," she voiced out.

"From that day, I told myself that I would keep that promise. I told myself that the next time I see her, I would tell her that I kept the promise."

"The next time I see that face, I would tell her that I did it. For both of us."

"It must hurt to look at me."

Zoro let out a long sigh. "When I met you, and I saw your face, you made me realize that I hadn't fulfilled my promise yet. When I saw you, you made me realize that, and I tried to run away."

"But…I'm not her…" she said, sadly.

"I know that. But it stirred up my fears. What if I die and never get to fulfill my promise? What if I have to face her again and have nothing to show for it? What would I say to her?"

Tashigi's heart twinged sharply. She understood. She had the same fears herself. What if she never got to secure justice for her mother or the swords that she loved?

"Today, when I saw you…with him…I felt like I had failed. I couldn't even keep that man away from you. It's like I'm not capable of keeping any promise at all, even to you." He raised a hand to his forehead, like an attempt to bury such thoughts.

"You didn't fail me…you haven't failed me in any way," she said, looking full at him, sincerity in her eyes. "As long as you're straining yourself like that, you'll never become the swordsman that you want to be."

"It was my fault, too, for letting Takumi come too close. I'm sorry."

"And…I think you were just jealous, now, weren't you?" she said, cheerfully elbowing his side, smiling at him to lighten the mood.

There was a pause. He lowered his hand and looked at her without changing his expression at all.

"Crazy jealous," he said, with all seriousness. His eyes burned blazes while looking directly at her. "I don't…I don't want him touching you. Ever." His statement was punctuated by an impulsive growl. He inadvertently scooped up her hand, bringing it close to him.

"Eh…?" Her heart began pounding. She meant it as a joke, of course. But that was just like him, to take everything point-blank. She wondered if he meant it. Her heart pounded even harder the more she thought about it.

There he was again, looking at her like that, with those eyes. Did he know what that did to her? Well, it makes her panic, and panic she did. She shut her eyes and let it take over her completely.

**BOOM!**

Zoro went flying from a patented mega-punch, courtesy of Tashigi, in mega-panic mode. He landed over the same divider she ran into a while ago. Now it was more a pile of sticks than anything resembling furniture.

"WHAT WAS THAT FOR??" A murderous aura emanated from Zoro as he quickly rose, his mouth spewing fire.

"W-well, what did you think?!" said Tashigi, half-laughing, trying to excuse herself from her actions. "You thought I'd give you a...a smooch, or something like that?"

"I'LL TELL YOU WHAT I THINK…!!" roared Zoro, as he angrily pushed his sleeves up, preparing to give her EXACTLY what she deserves. He'd make her pay, oh yes he would…

"Thank you, Zoro, for telling me," she said quietly, training her eyes down to the floor.

He had a hand on his flexing biceps, a fist ready in mock war mode. But he melted. All the fight in him simply drained away.

"Not even my _nakama_ know about Kuina," he said. "They know my goals, but they've never heard the story like you have."

Out of all the people in the world, he had chosen her to hear it. She might be the only one able to share his burden. What did it mean?

It may be too much to bear, all alone.

"Let's get out of here," she said suddenly.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"I want to show you something," she said. "Come on!"

"Where—"

She had approached a wall, and was running her hands over the panels.

"What are you doing?"

"Of course, you can't have a palace and not have a secret passageway," she said, with a mischievous smile.

"You have a secret passageway?"

"How else can you sneak out of a fortified castle when you want to?" She winked at him, giving him a sly smile, and his heart skipped a beat.

The corner panel gave a soft _click_, then slid smoothly sideways, revealing a dark stone-lined tunnel. Tashigi held a hand out to him.

"Take my hand."

"We're going through there?"

"It hasn't been used in years, but I know my way around. Trust me."

He found himself grinning. He took her hand and they entered the darkness. Already he was admitting things, doing things he never thought he'd do in a lifetime. It was an adventure, being with Tashigi, an adventure unlike any other he had been on. And strangely, right now, he never wanted it to end.

-0-

The tunnel was pitch black, winding with careless twists and turns and narrow channels. At one point they had to crouch to get through, and Tashigi made sure Zoro was still behind her.

"Are you still there?" Her hands felt around for him.

"Here," he called out, and her hands pulled him gently towards her.

"Stay close, Ok?" she whispered to him.

"…Ok," he replied, huskily. The scent of her shampoo, and the feel of her soft hands filled him; it was rather distracting. He tried to keep moving, though, to mask what he wanted to do to her right then, and it definitely involved her hands on him.

-0-

They emerged from a south wall of the greater palace, bordering a small inner garden full of flowering quince trees. There was a small door across the garden hidden from view by the trees. Tashigi pushed at this door, but it wouldn't budge. Zoro remedied this with a swift kick. It opened immediately.

"I just loosened it up for you," she said, rolling her eyes, but smiling at the same time. Together, they raced down the outer grounds into the night, through the rolling grassy hills and expansive plantations. They made their way by the light of the moon. Zoro looked up at the sky as they were running. It was a full moon.

_Ironic_, he thought.

They entered a small copse of tall Kyushu maple trees, and immediately heard the sound of bubbling water.

"Wait," she said, suddenly, throwing out an arm and motioning for a stop.

They were standing on the edge of a steep incline, right where there was a break in the trees. Looking down, one could see a mountain stream flowing merrily along its path. This incline bordered a wide alcove cut into the earth, with a lone flowering peach tree in the middle, standing forlornly against the tall rushes beside it. The ground was covered by smoothed over boulders in various shapes and sizes.

"We have to climb down the edge," she told him, already taking a foothold onto some well-placed jutting rocks. Zoro climbed down as fast as he could, so he could reach up to guide her down safely.

"What is this place?" he asked, as they approached the tree in the center.

"I used to come here to think. No one really comes here because it's hard to reach, so I get to be alone."

Just then, a ball of light floated past Zoro's head. He turned to look at it, when another floated across his other side. In a moment, the air was filled by hundreds of flickering dots of light.

"And besides that, it's gorgeous, huh?"

"Fireflies?"

"They come out at night here, near the river, now that it's nearly summer."

The light of the moon beat down on them through the spidery branches of the tree, casting feathery shadows on their skin.

She raised her hands, allowing the little dots to go through her fingers. "These lights, they also remind me of _Toro Nagashi_. You know, during _Obon_. Like returning souls finally given peace. I want to think that my mother's soul is one of those."

_Obon_, huh? The day he left his village was right in the middle of summer. He remembered it; it was a sweltering day, the day right after _Obon_ in their village. On that last _Obon_, he had paid his last respects to Kuina. It was time to fulfill his promise. That day, he resolved to finally give her peace.

"Zoro, I…"

She took a deep breath, readying herself.

"I-I know it's not my place to say it, I'm not her, b-but…" she struggled to say. " If…if I were…Kuina…then…then..." Her hands fisted at her sides.

"I would say that I'm proud of you. Because I am."

"You are…someone I've always aspired to become."

"And if there was anyone who could be the best, that would be you."

"If anyone could do it, that would be you, Zoro."

"Because…I believe it, too."

Her eyes, startlingly clear in the moonlight, sparkled with fresh tears.

"I…I don't know if it counts for something, I know I'm just…nothing, just nobody, and I have no right to say it…"

Something hit him, straight in the center of his chest, knocking out all the proverbial wind out of him.

It made him turn his back to her, the intensity too much for his inexperienced heart to contain. His tired eyes became obscured by the shadows of the night.

"I'm...I'm sorry," she said suddenly, the remorse evident in her voice. Her hands travelled forward, abruptly catching the back of his outer jacket, trying to pull him back.

She had said too much.

He shook his head. It wasn't because she was not Kuina; he had known that from the start. It wasn't because she was nothing, no, at this point, she was far from being nothing to him.

It was because it came as a surprise. Surprise, that she had so much faith in him.

It was because it came from her.

Just her.

Tashigi.

And she had meant it.

_You don't know, Tashigi, what it means to me._

In a soft voice that she almost didn't catch, he whispered to the night: "Thank you."

She blinked away her tears, relief coursing through her, leaning her head forward to press herself onto his back.

He felt her touching him, and thought that some of his resolve would break.

"This moonlight, it makes you say some crazy things, huh?" she said with a small laugh.

He looked up again, and the round, pale disc of a moon hung clearly in the night sky.

"Yeah," he said.

How long has it been, on that night long ago, when finally believed he was strong enough to be the best? How long has it been since he made that promise? How long had it been since he threw out his heart and believed in it?

But he knew, after tonight, that he wouldn't look at moonlight in the same way ever again.

"It was here that I decided to join the marines. To pursue that justice I promised my mother, and myself."

"So you really used to come here?"

"Yeah."

"Really?" He raised an eyebrow quizzically at her. "With all these _rocks_ around?"

She made an annoyed face, stuck out her tongue at him, and then ran down the bank, laughing.

"Hey, come back! You're going to get hurt!" With her track record, and with these many things in the way, she was bound to break her neck any minute now. He chased after her.

"Try to catch one!" she called back at him, running straight into a group of the bright insects. "Come on!" She cupped her hands together, trying to grasp at the tiny lights.

He smiled himself, when he saw how happy she looked, the tears gone, blinked away by simple joy for the moment. He followed suit, snatching at the air with lightning speed.

"Here," he said, approaching her after a time. He offered her two hands clasped together, faint light radiating from between his fingers.

"You caught one? Lemme see!"

He opened his hands, and a whole swarm of fireflies flew out, forming a cloud of shimmering lights that surrounded them.

"So beautiful," she sighed, happily, as the combined glow illuminated her face.

"Yeah," he said, looking directly at her.

She caught his eyes through the glittering lights, and, blushing, found that she could not look away.

No one would have believed this was Zoro. Zoro, the pirate hunter. Sworn enemy of the marines. She wouldn't have believed it, either, a few days ago. But that seemed like so long ago, like another life. Another lonely, forgotten life that was in the past.

Right at that moment, he was special.

Zoro was special.

She couldn't think of life beyond this time, life without knowing him. Time would stop for them, in this secret place. Nobody, absolutely nobody would have to know. Right now, he was here, catching fireflies for her. Right now, he was here to make her happy.

Right now, he belonged to her.

But she had another life, full of marine responsibilities and whatnots. She had to go back to that. And it would mean…

_Please, please,_ she thought frantically. _Not yet._ _I don't want to go back yet._ _I don't want to lose him, now that I've finally found him…_

"Hey, what's wrong?"

She was jolted out of her thoughts. "N-nothing."

"You look like you just realized something," he said, one corner of his mouth turning up just a smidgen.

"N-no," she countered, trying to still her rampant emotions. _Does he know what I'm thinking? Did it show on my face?_

"I was about to say that…I just realized something too." And his eyes went through her, just like they always do.

She shivered lightly, looking thoroughly affected by what he said. He recognized the power he had over her, what he could do to her.

And he was enjoying every moment.

He started his experiment, reaching one hand to touch her lightly on the shoulder, but she flinched, and then backed away from him slightly. He took a step towards her, and she continued to move away. He smirk widened, as he continued his pursuit.

_What is he doing?_ she thought, trying to quell the rapid beating of her heart. _He's…stalking me…like a jungle cat._ No other word to describe what he looked like now. But she found herself more excited than fearful at the moment. She had backed up into the tree, preventing her escape. He followed suit, looming directly over her.

When she refused to look at him, he put two fingers underneath her chin, and tilted her face up at him, bringing them inches apart. She had stopped breathing at this point. She scrunched her eyes shut, waiting for what would happen next, if she understood where this was all leading up to…

But an eternity passed, and nothing happened. Her eyes opened.

He was grinning at her, like an idiot.

"You thought I was going to give you a smooch, or something like that?" he said, mocking her through white teeth.

She blushed furiously, recognizing that he was only playing a game with her.

_You are a fool, Tashigi_, she chided herself. _That's what I get, for trusting a pirate. Even if it is him._

She pushed against his chest in annoyance, but she noticed that his grin had faded. His eyes were serious again. He grabbed her by the waist, no more teasing in his grip.

"Maybe…I will."

It took a moment to realize what he meant.

She gasped as he bent his head down, crossed the distance, and kissed her fully.

It was like in her dreams, like the perfect moment, when all the stars dim and you forget your name from bliss. It wasn't like the first time they kissed, no, those lips on her were sure and demanding, taking what they want from her.

Roronoa Zoro, the ruthless pirate, he takes what he wants.

The feel of his lips on hers again, it was enough to push her to the edge. She gave into it and kissed him back just as passionately.

He takes what he wants but he was finding out that Tashigi did so, too.

Spurred on by her actions, he pressed her against the tree trunk, his body covering her whole. His hands clutched at her hips, his touch insistent, mirroring a longing to touch the soft skin underneath. She remained pliant under his assault, answering it with her lips on his.

Her hands crept up his chest and delighted to feel his heart thundering like her own. The sensation of his mouth on hers, the possessiveness of his kiss, it was all driving her insane. Bit by bit, she had spiraled into this trap of his making, a trap of sensual rapture.

Slowly, he slid his tongue into her mouth, relishing in the warm velvet of its inner recesses, asserting his power over her. She moaned at his intrusion, brushing her tongue roughly along his in protest. A guttural growl rumbled through him, and he plunged deeper, tasting, wanting, and claiming. His arms moved to slide around her back, and pulled her close, so that her breasts pressed against his strong chest, no space to separate them. He could feel her lithe body through the thin material of their clothes, and already he wanted more of it, more of it under his fingers, under him…

_Drip. Drip._

Something cold and wet began trickling down on them.

Their eyes flew open.

Raindrops.

Simultaneously, they looked up, and heavy droplets slid down the leaves and down onto them, soaking their clothes, their hair, their heat. The world had turned suddenly dark, the moon obscured by murky clouds. The dull roar of an unexpected squall was heavy on their ears, and they hadn't noticed.

"We should go back," Tashigi said, reluctantly, blinking through the rain.

Zoro nodded, not trying to hide his disappointment.

She took his hand, and they made their way back quickly.

"Damn it," he said into the haze of raindrops, cursing the elements through gritted teeth.

The rain couldn't have come at a worse possible time.

-0-

That was a hard chapter to write. Romantic Zoro is hard to visualize. But boys DO fall in love (to quote the song). Zoro is not immune to it! Ah, love!

To my Pao-_chan_, I miss you so much. '_Lalang_. (smile)

I drew the wedding dress and a cute ZoroTashi chibi spread! Please check my profile for the links. I did these quickly so they're not as detailed as I want them to be, but I hope you still enjoy them. These are dedicated to Psike666 (who requested for the dress) and to LonelyRage who has been such a dear and has been supporting me since the start!

To everyone who reviewed, thank you!! Give me more of your ideas!! So what did you think? More romance? Or more action? Hehe.

Culture Notes:

_Rouka__ – _wooden floored passageways in Japanese houses; hallways

_Shoji – _partitions made from a wooden frame inlaid with paper. This style of partition may be used for sliding doors that separate rooms or freestanding foldable partitions as described here.

_Yukata_ – a light, unlined kimono made in cotton. Literally means "bath wear", although their use is not limited to such. A typical summer garment, it is worn at summer events (including Obon festival, and fireworks displays).

Kyushu maple - _Acer capillipes, _also known as Red Snakebark maple, native to mountainous regions in Japan, primarily in central and southern Honshu, Kyushu and Shikoku islands, usually growing alongside mountain streams.

_Obon_ – or the Bon Festival, is a Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the departed (deceased) spirits of one's ancestors. This Buddhist custom has evolved into a family reunion holiday during which people return to ancestral family places and visit and clean their ancestors' graves, and when the spirits of ancestors are supposed to revisit the household altars. Also called the _Feast of Lanterns_, it has been celebrated in Japan for more than 500 years and traditionally includes a dance, known as Bon-Odori. It lasts 3 days. Depending on the calendar used, it is either celebrated on the 15th of July or the 15th of August (most commonly celebrated), both in the summer months.

_Tōrō__ Nagashi_ – The _Obon_ festival ends with the _Tōrō Nagashi_, or the floating of lanterns. Paper lanterns are illuminated with candles and then floated down rivers symbolizing the spirits' return to the world of the dead. This ceremony usually culminates in a fireworks display. Incidentally, this is also an attack of Zoro, translated literally as 'Blade Wolf Flow', following the kanji but a 'nagashi' as written is usually something that lets a liquid pass down, much like Zoro arches back and down for this attack. Used against Hacchan. (Thank you to thegrandline(dot)com for that info)


	9. Chapter 9

Swords and Promises 9

Sorry everyone. Life got in the way.

I hope, in my heart, that the waiting was worth it. Lots of action in store; action (in the form of parkour) and *ahem* action (the romantic kind?)! Read to find out!

One Piece is not mine.

-0-

Stumbling through the darkness, hand in hand, a certain intrepid pair was making their way through the rain. Crossing a rocky path spread before them, they maneuvered through the dark eddies of murky water flowing through it. Droplets of rain continued to beat down mercilessly on them, like silver daggers on their skin. The smell of damp soil and water seemed oppressive, surrounding them like the mist on their bodies, that lingered until they were chilled to the bone.

"Almost there," the girl whispered to her companion. "We'll take the tunnel again so we won't be seen."

"People can't leave the palace at this time of night?" the man asked her.

"You can, but I can't," the princess sighed. "It's illegal for me to even be seen with you at this time of night, I mean…" She blushed at the thought. The things they were doing…

The impressive walls of the Outer Palace emerged in front of them. The rain had thankfully thinned to a slight drizzle.

She put a hand out to push the wall, but there was a faint noise that he heard.

Someone was coming.

In a split second, Zoro's lightning-fast reflexes pulled Tashigi away from the wall and crushed her into the shadows of a nearby tree, to muffle her indignant shout.

A patrol of six fully armored soldiers marched dangerously close by them, as they pushed against the tree, chest-to-chest. Only a hair's breadth separated the two from the jutting armor plates. If they had moved even an inch they would be discovered.

Zoro pressed her closer into the tree, careful not to make any additional sound to alert of their presence. The heavy clanking continued, but their cover of darkness seemed to shield them from detection.

Their precious princess...

His hands were on her waist, and he suddenly noticed how very small she was in his big hands, so very delicate next to him. He quietly slid his arms around her, engulfing her whole. She seemed to fit perfectly, so very round and soft against him. Just moments ago, they were in the same position.

Just moments ago, he had kissed her.

And the memory of their kiss washed over him, in undulating waves of warmth, like liquid sunshine seeping into his bones.

She had kissed him back. Run her lips against his of her own choice.

As an answer.

Right now, those same lips were pressed on his neck. The tickle of her breath on his skin made his pulse quicken and his breath hitch in his throat, holding the promise of so much more. Temporarily, he forgot about the darkness, the rain, and the cramped position they were in to escape discovery.

He had her now.

He wouldn't have believed it, no one would have believed it, after all the years of fighting alone, and fending for himself, then finding his _nakama_ finally, that he would meet someone like her; someone who talked, and looked, and acted like her, like a wholly destined fate. And he didn't believe in God, in a higher being, but it seemed like an unseen hand had its funny way with him. He didn't know if he should thank whatever force was to blame, but certainly, in his heart-of-hearts, there was a gratefulness he couldn't explain.

To have her say such things, like she believed in him, right when no one had to hear but him, no one to prove it to, left him bare, red, raw, stripped of pretense, no more hiding behind the guise he had been forging over the years. And in time he finally realized that she was someone who understood completely, the pain of loss, of promise, the bittersweet regret of holding a sword. And he realized it, too, in some strange awakening, that he may very well be looking at the other half of his being, so very like him in every aspect, in the shared sadness that remained when you look past the eyes.

And yet, very soon, he had to leave her. What was he really to her, anyway? Why was he starting to miss her, even when she was right there beside him? What was this feeling of gaping need, of physical pain from the dread of being apart from her, of finding himself needing to see her, to console himself with her simple presence…_Please, not yet. I don't want to go back yet._

But right now, right now, she was in his arms. Nothing else seemed to matter.

To hell with the night patrol. To hell with protocol. Let them see. He would get to kiss her yet again tonight. She had chosen him after all, laying all his fears to rest. She had chosen to be here with him.

He turned his head slightly, nuzzling her hair. It was amazing how she still smelled so good even after getting soaked by the rain. He would have her right here, right now.

"Zoro."

"Zoro, they're gone."

He blinked, as if trying to recover from a dream, and he withdrew his hold on her. The danger they were in only served to heighten the excitement, and he almost lost his hold on reality. Lost control.

"I forgot about the patrol schedule. They changed it up since," she said, irritatedly rubbing at her eyes. "Damn it, I can't believe I was so careless."

"How does it go?"

"Well, since it goes through this place, I can guess that it'll include the 4 walls of the _Daidairi_, as well as the inner courtyards."

"Inner courtyards? So does that pass by the courtyard next to my room?" he asked.

"Yes, on the west side of your guest quarters." Across the hall from his room was one of the inner gardens, well-manicured, green, and with enough space to house the standard number of patrol guards.

He stomped his right foot on the side of the tree. His rubber-soled _jika-tabi_ made forceful contact on the slick bark.

"Zoro, I…I can't be seen outside the walls, especially at this time," she whispered, terrified. "_Otou-san_ would freak, and you'll be lucky to see me out of my room for the rest of the days here. He'll keep me guarded like…like the last time…"

"I'll make sure that you won't," he told her, continuing to stomp his foot on the Katsura tree. Some of the tree's heart-shaped leaves were violently shaken off. "I have an idea."

"What? Zoro, be serious, please. And why are you stomping on the tree?"

"Just stand back a bit," he said, then walked a short distance away.

"What are you going to—"

But Zoro had taken a running start, pushed off the side of the tree with one foot, propelling himself upwards into the wall. He grabbed the edge of the wall effortlessly and hoisted himself up onto the top.

"We'll approach from the roof," he called out to her.

"What? I can't run on roofs! I can't even get up there!" she said, in a panic, trying to keep her voice down as much as possible.

"Here," he said, hooking his legs onto the ledge, then hanging off upside down to reach out to her.

"What am I supposed to do?" she asked the upside-down Zoro.

"I'll bring you up."

"A-are you nuts?" But just as she said that, a rustle of activity indicated the return of the patrol. She approached him and asked "Ok, what do I do—"

She had to muffle a gasp as he grabbed her by the waist, then doing a mighty crunch, hoisted her to the top of the wall, where she could scramble to safety.

Panting, she lay herself flat down on her back as Zoro rushed to do the same. The guards marched close by them, clanking, without seeing them lying side by side on the top surface of the thick wall.

They held their breath for a long moment.

Another close call.

"Ok, we're clear," Zoro said, after the clanking had receded. He rolled onto his stomach and peered down to ensure that he was right. "Let's go."

"Let's go? Go where?" Tashigi whispered to him, as she tentatively sat up.

"We'll have to run on the roof towards my room," Zoro patiently explained. "It's close to an open courtyard, so we can jump to the courtyard from above, when the guards aren't looking. Your room is too heavily barricaded to reach."

She looked at him incredulously. "Zoro, we can't…I can't…you _know_ I can't run on a roof…" She shook her head, playing in her mind the possibility, no, the absolute certainty of her tripping and falling to the ground several stories below.

"This ok with you?" he asked, as he took her by surprise and scooped her close to him and picked her up bridal-style. Her face came into contact with his strong chest.

"H-huh? I..." she replied, rather flustered. "Y-yes." But she could feel her cheeks burning.

"Good. Now tell me where to go."

They turned their heads, facing the massive palace complex from the east wall. "The patrol that passed will be synchronized with the inner patrol, so I'm guessing that they will be at the south end at this time. If we approach from the east area, they'll be at the west walls and out of our way by the time we get to the Inner Palace." Tashigi pointed to the cluster of buildings near the center of the complex, with the white _Shishinden_ in the middle. "That's where we're headed."

"Ok, so I run this way—" He took a step to the right.

"No, straight ahead! Honestly," she said, reaching out her arms to entwine around his neck.

"Ok, ok," he said, holding her close to him as he stood up. "Just keep me in check."

He tested the grip of his feet on the wet tile. It was wet, but not too wet. The hold would just be fine.

Crouching down lightly, he set out on a dead run. Amazingly enough, he chose the straightest route towards the _Dairi_, and it involved some thankfully long, and yet unconnected tile-roof buildings.

"Zoro, how are you going to get to the next building—" Tashigi uttered panickedly, as they approached the edge of the building they were on. But Zoro had taken a clean leap off the edge, and made contact with the next one effortlessly. He resumed his sprint at breakneck speed.

"You said go straight, right?" he said to her, while running.

"Yeah," she said. Not the best route definitely, but no use arguing with the man. _At least he knows where he's going._

They set a maddening pace over the rooftops, his long strides clearing greater and greater distances with each bound.

And then, at the worst possible moment, as they were in midair, there was a prickly sense of danger. Sharp, pointed danger.

In the tiny millisecond that he turned his head, Zoro's peripheral vision caught sight of the shiny thing that hurtled towards them.

Still in midair, he took one hand off Tashigi and aimed a blow at it. In that tiny moment, his palm connected with smooth wood and sharp metal, deflecting its path. The disturbed arrow whirled away until it disappeared into the darkness.

"Shit!"

At that instant, his foot connected with the next roof, yet not quite at the angle he was expecting. He skidded down several feet, dislodging roof tiles in the process, before finally regaining his footing.

_A hiding place,_ he frantically thought. _We need to get out of sight, fast!_

His eyes searched wildly around. Two slender buildings to his right suddenly appeared. In the middle of these two was a narrow sort of alleyway shielded from outside view.

_There!_

He cut off abruptly from his path, ducking deftly down to tuck into the dark alley as quickly as he can.

It was only then that he could breathe again. For several moments, only the sound of the pirate's heavy breathing could be heard. He finally turned his eyes to his precious cargo.

"Are you ok?" he asked, in between breaths.

Her brown eyes were wide in shock.. "Zoro, what…was…"

"An arrow," he said, very carefully releasing his hold and setting her down on the ledge next to him, making sure she had a foothold. "Someone was firing at us."

Her eyes took on a look of concern. "The 2nd division," she said. "They're the only ones permitted to use arrows. Besides that, they're scouters. They'll be trailing us now that we've been spotted."

"They probably haven't taken a good look at us," Zoro said, raising his right palm to his face, squinting at it in the darkness. "That's our advantage. They know there's an intruder, but not exactly who it is."

"Let me see that," she told him, taking his outstretched palm. There was a cut there, bleeding, yet shallow. Her gentle hands applied a bit of pressure to the wound, and the bleeding promptly stopped.

"It's nothing, r-really," he stammered, unsure about the sudden rush of blood to his face.

She bent her head down, and before he knew it, she had pressed a soft kiss on his fingers. "I'm sorry."

Now, Zoro was far too old to believe in magic cures, in kisses that made all the pain go away, in soft voices that eased the suffering. And yet, now, the pain had faded into nothingness, and Zoro could not control the little-boy grin that split his face, so very foolishly pleased with himself and idiotically grinning, and yet loving every minute of it.

He could only shake his head, still smiling, unable to form coherent thought.

"So where do we go now?" Her voice cut through his momentary daze.

Clearing his throat (and most of his mind), Zoro stared up the twin columns that housed them. This was not the time to be acting like a lovesick puppy (if he was indeed that, most definitely NOT!) or God forbid, like the _ero-cook_ at his full _ero_ worst. First priority was to get them into safety, right away. "We'll have to stick close to the shadows, close to the walls. We can't afford to be seen out in the open again."

In truth, the distance was not a problem. Zoro could do a few quick bounds to carry them to their destination. But the presence of the sentries complicated all matters. Added to that are the projectile weapons. He wasn't about to risk it.

"What we need now is a vantage point, where we can plot our next move."

"These columns are water towers," Tashigi said, pointing upwards. "There is a pipe that connects them to the next lower building. It's about 50 feet across."

"Good. We'll use that to our advantage," he said, stretching his arms to press his palms against the walls of the dark corridor they were in. _Perfect_, he thought. The distance between the walls was a little less than his arm span. The walls were also quite dry despite the rain, having been shielded by the overhang. "I'm going to need my hands," he told her. " So climb on my back and hold on." He stooped down a bit and proffered his back to her.

"Wha—where are we going?" the princess asked him, confused. She complied anyway, hooking two arms around his shoulders, her legs around his waist.

Zoro straightened up, forcefully put two arms on the walls. "Up," he answered.

Bracing himself, he pumped out an enormous amount of power through his arms, pushing them upwards. His rubber-soled feet then pressed against the walls. He was now spread-eagled in between the two walls, relying only on the strength of his limbs and whatever friction was there to keep from slipping down.

He repeated the process, pushing off with his arms, and then his legs, driving them upwards in a kind of spider-walk to the top. Tashigi dared not look down, or think of what would happen if he suddenly lost his grip on the dry walls. But she was amazed at the speed he employed and the immense strength to actually bring the weight of two people to that height. Zoro never slowed, and very soon they were at the very top. With a strong kick, he launched himself at the overhanging roof and grabbed it. He muscled up the ledge easily, bringing them both finally on top of the roof.

Tashigi blinked. They were now on top of the tallest point in this area of the _Daidairi_. She released the breath she didn't know she was holding. The massive expanse of the palace grounds spread across her eyes in a daunting, impressive aerial view.

Zoro crouched down low again, intent on keeping unseen. They made their way to the other side of the sloping roof, with her still clinging to his back. True enough, a thick pipe ran the length between the water silo they were currently on top of and the next building, held in place by a skeletal metal rail.

But beneath the pipe was a seventy-foot drop.

"What now?" she asked him, her voice muffled slightly by the back of his robes.

He glanced back at her, slightly. "You ok back there?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Because we're taking the pipe."

Whatever protest she had was drowned out when he took a flying leap off the roof, one arm snaking backwards to clamp her waist to him, the other catching the closest jutting rail. Now, they found themselves hanging by an arm underneath the massive pipe.

Tashigi was very thankful she was not afraid of heights, because right now, any person with such a fear would have fainted straight away at this situation. She tried to focus her sight ahead, and not at the long, deadly drop to death beneath their dangling feet.

Once he was assured that she was holding him securely, Zoro swung forward and brought up his other hand to grab the next metal rail. He kept a steady pace, swinging effortlessly from one rail to the next, as if he were only inches from the ground, and not at a dizzying height. Tashigi marveled at the sheer arm strength that supported their entire weight. The army training exercises were nothing compared to this! There was no fear of sudden death!

At the end of the pipe, he hung one-armed once again, steadying her with his other hand. With a forceful grunt, he pulled up powerfully on the rail. She would have rubbed her eyes if she could, because she could have sworn his arm muscles enlarged to monstrous proportions. That single pull-up was enough to get them airborne, and Zoro even did a flip to land squarely on his feet atop the adjacent building, looking as though he had not even broken a sweat.

Her eyes had barely even blinked before she was on her feet again atop that building.

He had picked her up straight away, crushing her again to his chest, as he drew them into the safety of the shadowy wall. Without missing a beat, he resumed his run, protected by the darkness.

"Straight ahead, Zoro," she commanded him, and he nodded his head in assent.

They took a zigzagging path, always in the shadows, avoiding the brighter open areas now lit by the moonlight. They stuck close to the walls, preferring flatter ones to stick close to. There were some impossible drops and long obstacles in their way, but Zoro would just kick off from whatever was blocking their path and land on the next structure in their way. There were some narrow climbs she never thought they would get out off, but he never slowed, even once.

She strained to see, through the thick air that whipped across her face at this incredulous speed. There, up ahead, was a familiar building.

"There!" she shouted, just in time to make him realize it. "That's it! That's your hallway!"

The welcoming lights of the _Dairi_ became visible, and just beyond a single stretch of wall of the connecting building was the courtyard outside Zoro's room: their target!

"Hold on—" he began, but he had already jumped onto the vertical wall and was running to their destination without serious warning. It was not until she noticed that her world had turned sideways that she realized that he was running on the wall—on a wall!—which forced her to scrunch her eyes, praying, holding on for dear life.

Just a few feet away from reaching the next building, three successive arrows sank into the stone wall, the last almost piercing Zoro's booted feet.

They had been spotted again!

Angry shouts rang through the night, an alert being sounded. At the top of that final building, they could hear marching feet closing in on them. Any moment now, and the soldiers would be upon them.

Zoro looked left and right, in a frenzy, searching for a way out. But the courtyard they were aiming for was now bright with the light from the hallway below. Dropping to the ground and crossing the grass was suicide, they would be spotted right away. End of story.

The shouts sounded closer now, the patrol was now ascending the building. They knew that they were there. A little more and…

But there was an overhanging wooden ledge framing the hallway. _Just what I need!_ he thought.

"This is it!" he told her. "No way out! We have to jump it!"

"WHAT!? It's too far!" she sputtered, being released to step onto the ground. "Maybe we can…maybe…"

"No time for that now! We have to jump!"

"No! W-we can't! We'll die!" she said, turning a sickening shade of green.

"I can do it!"

"No! Please!" she begged him. "No, Zoro, no, no, no…"

"Do you trust me?" he asked, softly.

She could hear her heartbeat pounding in her ears, everything acutely sharpened. She looked at his eyes. Oh, those eyes, those eyes; they never lie. His honest eyes. They promised that she would be safe. She could go to the ends of the earth and she would be safe, as long as she was with him.

_I will always be safe when you are with me_, she thought.

"Yes, I trust you," she answered him, with all sincerity.

He gave a nod, a short smile, and then, "Hang on tight."

She clung on tightly, arms clasped over his strong shoulders, legs crossed against his stomach, as he started his sprint on the diagonal roof. At the edge, he launched himself into a giant leap into the darkness.

The wind whistled through her ears, as Tashigi felt the pull of gravity on them, as they hurtled weightlessly through the air. She thought she would feel fear, but she had put her life in his hands right now, and she believed that no one else could get her across safely.

They both felt the immense jolt of the resulting impact, as Zoro grabbed the ledge. Tashigi still clung on tightly with all her might, with as much strength as she could muster. She was determined to stick to Zoro until her arms came off.

Just at that moment, the guards barged onto the roof, but found nothing there.

Zoro dropped to the floor and entered the hallway. The guards scurrying away failed to notice his hunched figure tucking away into a guest room, as noiselessly as he could.

His room was lit by a sole fire lamp, burning despondently in a corner. The moonlight streamed in, with silvery fingers stretched on the matted floor.

Tashigi was still stuck on his back, eyes still closed. He only released his hold on her when the _shoji_ doors finally slid shut, and only the silence of the room greeted them.

For a time, only his wheezing breath resonated in the room.

"Tashigi, it's ok, we're here," he said, lowering down to the floor so her feet could touch the ground. It took a few minutes before she relaxed her hold and let herself slide onto the floor. Her knees buckled under her; her form slumping onto the ground. Several moments passed before she could finally speak again.

"Zoro...that was...that was..." she began, shakily. He sat next to her, on the floor, resting his head onto the wall behind them.

"HOLY FUCKING SHIT!!!"

The impact of such a string of expletives from her made even this pirate's jaw drop, unaware that she was at all capable of using such crude language.

"Oh my God…oh my God!" she cried, as softly as she could muster. "That was…I can't believe we pulled it off!" And she broke into a fit of giggles. "That was the craziest thing I've ever done, I could have DIED, and yet, it was…"

"INCREDIBLY FUN!" she exclaimed, with a maniacal grin and twinkling eyes.

Now that made Zoro laugh. Who knew she could be like this? It surprised him, but he found it oddly endearing.

"Crazy, yet fun!," she continued. "That jump was amazing, Zoro. You are amazing."

His eyes crinkled at the corners. "Not bad, huh? For a 'stinkin' pirate'?"

And they both shared a laugh between them, all the tension they were feeling being released from them finally. They were laughing until tears threatened to squeeze out of their eyes.

"Do you do things like this everyday? Crazy things?" she asked, still laughing, turning to face him.

"Well," he started, smugly, scratching his chin. "Not everyday, I mean, there's stuff to do around the boat and the occasional brush with death, but generally, yes."

She looked at him then. It seemed strange to her, right that instant, that a wanted criminal was on the floor next to her. A wanted criminal, and yet he was the man who had just risked life and limb to get her to safety. The man capable of such staggering feats of strength and agility, of power she could only dream of. The man she had been chasing after for so long.

And yet, he was laughing next to her, on his spot on that rapidly dampening wooden floor.

A shaft of longing shot straight through her, so sweet, it stilled her pulse momentarily.

"Y-your _nakama_, they're very lucky," she said, suddenly, her words coming out in a tumble from her lips.

"Huh?"

"They get to see you like this, everyday," she said, flushing. "Ah, I mean, like when you're not so serious, when you smile—"

What was she saying? This was totally embarrassing. Her heart was racing in her chest, a mile a minute.

She swallowed. "Like when you smile around me…"

Indeed, during the times they were alone, his smile was not so much of arrogance like she had used to view it, but it was a smile that lit up his face and smoothed the lines from his brow. He always looked so happy around her.

And just like that, he flashed that grin at her, turning her insides into mush again.

Zoro…

_Would it be okay? _

_Just this once. _

If...if she could admit what she really felt about him.

Her hands fisted tightly in her lap. The twisted cloth of her _yukata_ felt like tearing between her fingers.

Is it okay? To admit that she actually liked him being there, to rely on, to depend on.

And to not have to act like the strong one, all the time.

Just this once…

But what would she tell him? There was nothing poetic or profound in her mind now, just some random musings, the spoutings of some ridiculous girl, definitely…and what was she to him really, anyway?

And yet…

"I should get going. Let you freshen up before you go back to your room." His voice halted her train of thought. "They'll be looking for you soon."

She blinked, and all her proclamations evaporated.

"R-right," she said, although regret was painted on her face.

He paused for a while, mouth opening and closing several times, and for a moment, it seemed like he was stalling, as if getting ready to tell her something. But he finally decided against it and she watched helplessly as he stood up and slowly made his way to the door, shaking off some water at the shoulders from his _gi_.

_I…I don't want him to go yet,_ her mind dimly protested.

There was a lump of sadness that lingered in the pit of her stomach. She felt like crying. She couldn't help but feel like she had missed a chance to tell him, _the_ chance for something, whatever it was.

_Don't go._

She had missed it completely. The front of her robe was unrecognizably scrunched in countless wrinkles from her hesitation.

Turning to the clothes chest, she loosened her wet robe at the shoulders, in preparation to change it. She expected to hear the clatter of the _shoji_ doors opening, finally letting him out.

And yet the clatter never came.

She felt a chill. She could feel eyes bore through the back of her head.

She turned her head, slowly. She gave a start when she saw him.

He was standing in the middle of the room, now facing her, with shoulders hunched and weary, eyes trained to the floorboards.

"I…" he choked out. "I…don't want to go yet."

And he looked up suddenly at her. His eyes were on hers in an instant, pleading with her, begging, soulful and dark against the silvery moonlight streaming into the room.

Her eyes widened, as a wave of understanding shook her body. Only moments ago, she thought she had let go of him, and the chance to tell him. And now, he was before her, saying the very words in her head in a heartfelt confession.

Her eyes conveyed the question she was desperately wanted to ask him: _So…you felt it too?_

In a few strides, he had managed to cross the distance between them, and he pressed a hot mouth to her soft lips, as an answer. She felt his hunger, his craving for her as his tongue brushed roughly against hers, and she promptly forgot her innocence.

He moved to press heated kisses on her cheek, then she felt him trail his lips down her neck. Once at her shoulder, he darted a scorching tongue out to lick at her smooth skin, his tongue tracing fire in its wake.

"A-ah," was all she could muster, suddenly feeling dizzy with anticipation. The flutterings of desire swept through her, and she wound an arm around his neck, intoxicated, her traitorous body drawn in by his ministrations. His touched suddenly turned insistent, pressing her to him fully. His hands were relentless, moving down her waist, to the arch of her back, exploring her delicious curves over and over, and before she knew it, the thin sash that held her _yukata_ in place had come undone in them.

"You really should..." he whispered into her ear, huskily. "take this off..." And his hands crept into her open _yukata_, peeling it off her body easily. She shivered as the cold air came into contact with her skin. Slowly, he held her at arm's distance to look at her.

His breath left him as he saw her standing before him. All she had underneath the _yukata_ was a lacy white chemise that barely covered her hips. In her drenched state, it clung seductively to her every curve, like a second skin, leaving nothing to the imagination. Tashigi realized, with flaming cheeks, that she might as well be standing before him naked. It took all her courage to brave his close inspection. All the self-control in the world could not hide from him her physical reaction, her nipples rising and hardening visibly through the thin material as surely as if he had actually touched them. As if on cue, one of the thin gossamer straps fell off her shoulder, to tempt him.

"D-don't look," she said, embarrassed.

Crystal beads of rain glistened on her hair, dewdrops on her skin. Her rosy white complexion seemed to glow in the lamplight, lending an ethereal glow to her.

"No, you're..." he began, tongue all tied in knots. "You're..." His mouth went dry.

Her hands went over her body, trying to cover herself up from his eyes.

"You're…so goddamn…you're…just…"

Zoro was looking at her, with an almost animal-like hunger, his eyes roaming over her body, in an expression of unbridled desire.

"You're…" Zoro's voice faltered, unable to keep up. Yet, his eyes, as they met hers again, said what he wanted to say:

_Beautiful._

It caught her completely off-guard. Her head flew up as she drew in a shaky breath. Her heart performed somersaults in her chest.

_Does he...really think so?_

She hung her head, but as she blushed in embarrassment, her lips quirked into a tiny smile.

"N-no, I'm not—"

Roronoa Zoro was like a man loosed. He kissed her then, so ferociously that she was bent over backwards as he probed the recesses of her velvety mouth. She clung to him desperately; vaguely aware of how his strong arms had picked her off the ground and carried her to his warm, dry _futon_, without breaking their kiss.

They broke apart as he laid her down gently onto the soft covers, each struggling to catch a bit of breath.

He propped himself up, an arm on either side of her head. He looked down at her, and she was startled at the way he was looking at her, with such gentle eyes, in a mix of intense yearning and tenderness.

_Nobody has ever looked at me like that before, _she thought, and tears sprung in her eyes from the implications.

She knew that, for all his rough and gruff exterior, that there was another side to him, very different from what other people saw. It was a side he had shown to her, in those private moments they had, alone, and away from the maddening eyes of the crowd. It was the side of him that loved to laugh, that smiled a lot, that kept his promises. It was the side of him that was capable of such kindness, a type of gentleness and a quiet strength.

It was also that side of him that was capable of doing the craziest, stupidest things. Now, he was smiling that wicked little smile of his, and she knew what she wanted.

All reason and sense left her.

She wanted _him_.

Tashigi reached up and slipped her hands underneath the neckline of his wet robes, pushing away at them. Zoro helped out, shrugging off his dark green _gi_ and throwing it carelessly to the floor. Her eyes wandered shamelessly over his perfect chest as an answer, over his well-muscled body, her own breath catching in her throat. She ran a fingertip down the jagged scar on his chest, all the way to the hip, where she fingered the waistband of his _hakama_, her touch sensual and teasing, eliciting a shuddering sigh from him.

"Zoro," she said simply, smiling back up at him.

He took that as an invitation.

His lips came down, possessing hers again, and she welcomed the driving exploration of his deepening kiss. At once, she was enveloped in the sweet, summer taste of him, the hard pleasure of his body against hers.

He moved down, attacking the smooth expanse of her neck, marveling at the little noises she made at her throat. Moving down further, he paused at the top of her breasts, where the low neckline of her chemise stopped his assault. With a look at her, he dipped his head down, his intentions becoming devastatingly clear.

"N-no, Zoro…"

But the words went nowhere as he attacked the flimsy material, scraping it from her body with his teeth, thrusting the gentle swell of her naked breasts out to him.

Her heart began skipping ever more madly than before. She swallowed. She had never been so exposed to a man before.

His eyes roamed over her again, mouth going dry again as lust glazed over his eyes.

With deliberate slowness, he dragged his lips down her ivory throat, until they caught one rosy peak, his marvelous tongue swirling over it, his to do with as he pleased. She felt her flesh melting in that ruthless, hot mouth of his.

For all she knew, the world seemed to be spinning around her at a maddening pace.

_Oh God, that feels so…good! _ she thought, as he moved to lave the other breast with his mouth.

She thought she would pass out from the pleasure he was giving her. Every lick and nibble at her skin brought her closer to ecstasy, and she was reduced into a heap of long sighs and whimpers. Her fingers wound into his thick hair. He was just too good, exploring her with his masterful mouth. She pressed his head closer until his teeth nipped at her flesh and then she urged his mouth back to hers, drowning in the sweet wine of his kiss.

"Ta-Tash…Tash…" he moaned her name in between every kiss. His breathing was now hot and ragged, as he attempted to take in everything he could of her. His calloused hands worked their way down her body, his rough palms tantalizing her taut breasts, thumbs flicking over her stiff nipples.

She tried to kiss every part of him she could reach. Her eyes closed of their own accord, her body giving into the sheer bliss of that moment. "Z-Zoro, mmm…aah, don't stop…"

But in the dark beneath her lids, an evil voice came lurking, wanting, straining, to be heard.

_Don't worry, I wouldn't get carried away by the likes of you._

The blood in her veins turned to ice.

She could feel him already, hard against her thigh. She knew where this would lead to.

_Do we have a deal then?_

Her eyes flew open.

"Wait—" she began. But his hands were insistent, stroking her long legs, tugging the chemise ever higher…

"Zoro!"

It took all her strength to push him off.

That stopped him.

The anguish in that voice.

He looked at her, forcing his body into stillness.

"W-what…what are we doing?" she whispered harshly.

He looked at her, and her saw her, this time.

The enemy.

His eyes, they widened in realization.

_Deal._

He stood up suddenly, strode across the room and exited through the doors, sliding them shut after him.

"Wait! Zoro, I—" she called out after him, the panic in her voice rising. _What have I done?_

She hurriedly covered herself up again, and ran over to the closed doors. She saw that he hadn't left. His shadow was visible through the translucent paper panels, leaning against the doorframe.

Her hand reached out to open the doors, but she could not for the life of her bring herself to go to him.

His voice was the one that reached out to her, instead. "I'm sorry," he whispered sadly, through the door.

"No, it's my fault," she told him, her tears pouring out, the guilt invading her being. Who was the one who concocted this entire scheme? Who was the one who fell into her own trap? Who was the one that led him on? Who was the one that wanted to tell him what she really felt, that she…that he was…

"Everything is my fault! I'm so sorry!" she sobbed into the wall. "Please, come back."

But now, his shadow was gone.

-0-

Thanks again for waiting! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Please review! Thank you!

Culture Notes:

Katsura tree – (_Cercidiphyllum japonicum_) one of the largest hardwoods in Asia, growing 40-45 meters in height, with a rough, furrowed bark and cordate (heart-shaped) leaves.

_Jika-tabi _– a type of outer footwear worn in Japan, invented in the 20th century. It essentially is a "tabi boot", as it is called outside Japan, having been modeled on traditional split-toe _tabi_ sock. They are made of tough, pliable material and a thin, soft, rubber sole. It gives the wearer tactile contact with the ground, as such, is preferred for climbing, walking, and running.

Parkour (French: _l'art du deplacement_, English: the art of movement) – an activity with the aim of moving from one point to another as smoothly, quickly, and efficiently as possible, using the entire body. It is meant to help one overcome obstacles, which can be anything in the surrounding environment (branches, rocks, rails, concrete walls) and can be practiced in a rural or urban setting. Parkour is a physical activity commonly categorized as an extreme sport, but since it has no official set of rules, it has been likened more to a form of martial arts, or more specifically, evasive arts, a non-combative branch that puts importance on evasive techniques and movement.

A characteristic of parkour is that of efficiency and speed with overcoming obstacles; the most direct way is the best. This distinguishes it from the similar practice of freerunning, which puts particular emphasis on freedom of movement and creativity (with acrobatics, flips, and other tricks to enhance the beauty of movement). Zoro also employs a bit of freerunning with his flip from the pipe (a bit of flair, because Zoro can really just do it).

Parkour is meant to be practiced alone, with just light clothing and athletic shoes as equipment (some prefer bare feet), to enhance grip and feel for the obstacles they encounter. I took the liberty to show that Zoro can perform it even with another person on him (in his arms or on his back) and to confirm that Zoro is indeed not human in strength (as if you did not already know that).

The term parkour was defined by David Belle and friend Hubert Koundé in 1998, based on the _méthode naturelle_ training created by Georges Hébert in the early part of the 20th century (standard system of French military education and training involving parcours – obstacle course). Ownership of the term is shared too by Sébastien Foucan, with whom Belle developed the art further, in Lisses commune in France.

Some of the major basic movements shown in the fic, with the original French name in parentheses (in order of appearance):

**Wall jump/Tic tac/Tac vault** (Saut de mur) – a step off a wall (or tree, in this case) in order to overcome another obstacle or gain height to grab something

**Wall run** (Passe muraille) – overcoming a tall structure, usually by a step off a wall to transform the forward momentum into upward momentum, then using the arms to climb onto and over the object.

**Muscle up** (Planche) – to get from a hanging position into a position where your upper body is above the obstacle, supported by the arms. This then allows you to climb up onto the obstacle and continue.

**Gap Jump/Running Jump** (Saut de détente) – to jump from one place to another, over a distance. Most often followed by a roll.

**Spider walk** – overcoming a narrow space between two vertical objects by climbing using all four limbs alternately to force yourself upwards (my own definition, can't find a suitable one)

**Lache/swing** (lâché) – to hang or swing from a bar/branch/wall, and let go, or hang from another object. This can refer to almost any hanging/swinging type movement.

**Arm Jump/Cat Leap** (Saut de bras) – to land on the side of an obstacle in a hanging/crouched position, hands gripping the top edge, holding the body, ready to perform a muscle up.

**Drop** (Saut de fond) – literally, to jump to the ground.

_Gi_ – traditional uniform for martial arts, especially in Karate-do, consisting of a jacket, pants, and belt. Here, Zoro is wearing the light upper jacket only, with his _hakama _pants.

Thanks to verbalblade(dot)com, nytimes(dot)com, parkour(dot)net, all-karate(dot)com, and Wikipedia for the parkour movement definitions.


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